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HISTORY 



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HARTSVILLE, BUCKS COUNTY, PA. 



17^6-187^. 



BY 



• REV. DfX. TURNER. 



PUBLISHED BY REQUEST OF THE SESSION. 



PHILADELPHIA : 

CULBERTSON & BACHE, PRINTERS, 727 JaYNE StREET. 

1876. 






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TABLE OF CONTENTS. 



PAGE. 

Correspondence, ■ ■ ■ • ' ' ^}. 

Succession of Pastors, .... ^i" 

Preface, . • • • • f • . xv 

CHAPTER I. 

EARLY SETTLEMENT. 

Location of Neshaminy Church.— Forks of Neshaminy.— Jamison's 
Corner.— Founding of the Church.— Rev. P. Van Vleck.— Deeds 
yiven by WiLiam Penn.— Holland Churches at Feasterville and 
Richborough.— Bensalem.— Few Presbyterian Churches.— The 
Scotch Irish. ....•• 

CHAPTER II. 

REV. WILLIAM TENNENT. 

Mr. Tennent's birth and education.— His ordination in the Episco- 
pal Church.— Marriage.— He unites with the Presbyterian 
Church.— Reasons for his change of ecclesiastical relation.— 
Residence at Bensalem, Northampton and Warminster.— Takes 
charge of the Church at Neshaminy.— The " Old Side."— Rev. 
George Whitefield visits Neshaminy.— Preaches in the Grave 
Yard.— " Log College." § 

CHAPTER III. 

SONS OF REV. WILLIAM TENNENT. 

Rev. Gilbert Tennent.— His pastorate at Kew^ Brunswick, N. J., and 

in Philadelphia.— His death and burial.— His character. Rev. 

William Tennent, Jr.— Education.— Residence in New Bruns- 
wick.— The trance.— Apparent death and preparation for burial. 
—His recovery.— Account of his view of Heaven.— Settlement 

at Freehold, N. J.— Death. Rev. John Tennent.— Settlement 

at Freehold.— Usefulness.— Death at an early age. Rev. 

Charles Tennent— Ordination at Whiteclay Creek, Delaware.— 
Residence at Buckingham, Maryland.— His connection with the 
"New Side."— Mrs. Douglass. -Rev. William M. Tennent, 



D. D. 



19 



IV CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER IV. 

ALUMNI OF LOG COLLEGE. 

Rev. Samuel Blair. — Settlement at Shrewsbury, N. J. and New 
London, Pa. — Revival. — School at Fagg's Manor. — His learning 
and eloquence. — Eev. Samuel JJavies. — Eev. John Blair. — Settle- 
ment at Newville and New London, Pa. — Professor of Divinity 
at Princeton. — Pastorate at Wallkill, N. Y. — His literary publica- 
tions. — Rev. Samuel Finley. — His labors. — Settlement at Notting- 
ham, Md. — His school. — Eminent men in it. — President of 
Princeton College. — Sickness and death. — Rev. William Robinson. 
— Comes to America. — His conversion. — Ordained as an Evan- 
gelist. — Labors in Virginia, North Carolina, Maryland, New York, 
and Delaware. — His death after a short ministry. — His useful- 
ness. ....... 33 

CHAPTER V. 

ALUMNI OF LOG COLLEGE. — CONCLUDED. 

Rev. John Rowland. — Rule of Synod in regard to licensure. — Mr. 
Rowland licensed by the Presbytery of New Brunswick. — 
Preaches at Neshaminy. — Also in New Jersey. — Opposed by emi- 
nent men. — Tom Bell.— Mistaken for Mr. Rowland. — Theft of a 
horse. — Mr. Rowland accused of the crime. — Acquitted. — William 
Tennent, Anderson and Stevens accused of perjury. — Anderson 
found guilty and unjustly punished. — Remarkable Providence in 
Mr. Tennent's acquittal. — Mr. Rowland's labors at Providence, 
Pa. — His early death. — Termination of Log College. . 52 

CHAPTER VI. 

CLOSE OF THE LIFE OF REV. WILLIAM TENNENT, SEN. 

Disruption of the Synod. — Mr. Tennent joins the Presbytery of 
New Brunswick. — Dissatisfaction of the people at Neshaminy. 
— Decision of Presbytery and Synod. — Mr. Tennent sustained. — 
His resignation of the pastoral office. — His death. . . 61 

CHAPTER VII. 

REV. FRANCIS McHENRY. 

The Church at Deep Run. — An assistant to Mr. Tennent. — Mr. 
McHenry's birth, licensure, and ordination. — Division in the 
Church at Neshaminy. — Installation over the "Old Lights." — 



CONTENTS. V 

Moderator of the Synod.— Eev. Mr. Dorsius.— High and Low 
Dutch Churches. — Missionary in Virginia. — Mr. McHenry's death 
and epitaph. ...... 66 

CHAPTER Vlir. 

EEV. CHARLES BEATTY. 

Mr. Beatty's ancestors. — Gov. George Chnton.— Hon. DeWitt Clin- 
ton. — Emigration to America. — Dangerous Voyage. — Eesidence 
in New York.— Mrs. Christiana Beatty.— Mr. Beatty's early edu- 
cation. — A pupil at Log College.^Licensure.— Ordination at 
Neshaminy. — Salary. — Purchase of the Church lot. — Building of 
the Church. — Uaion Library of Hatborough. — Presbytery of Ab- 
ington. — Visit to New York. — Sent to Virginia' and North Caro- 
lina. — Chaplain in the Army. — Distributes the rum. — Address to 
his people on the war. — Chaplain a second time. — Chaplain a 
third time. — Visits Pittsburg. — Ensign James Darrah. — Mr. Beat- 
ty's visit to Gt. Britain — With Rev. George DufReld he visits In- 
dian Tribes. ...... 71 

CHAPTER IX. 

PART OF THE JOURNAL OF REV. C. BEATTY. ' 

Goes to Fort Pitt.— Entertained by British Officers.— Preached to 
the soldiei-s.— The Allegheny River.— Rain.— First Sabbath in the 
wilderness.— Indians with rum.— Tuskalawa.— King of the Dela- 
wares.— The Council.— Rev. David Brainerd.— Wampum belt.— 
Preaching to the Indians.— Talk with them.— Solemn awe among 
them.— Return to Neshaminy.— His Journal published in Lon- 
don. . . . . • • • .89 

CHAPTER X. 

REV. C. BEATTY^ — CONTT.UUED. 

Mrs. Beatty's sickness.— She and her husband sail for Scotland.— 
Her death.— Rev. Dr. Witherspoon.— Letter of Mr. Beatty.— The 
Presidency of Princeton College.— Marks of respect in Scotland. 
—Return home.— Interest in Princeton College.— Passport of 
Gov. Penn.— Visit to the West Indies.— Death and burial at Bar- 
badoes.— His publications.— Testimony of Dr. Sproat.— Remarks 
of Mr. Greir of Deep Run.— Mr. Beatty's residence at Harts- 
ville 97 



Vm CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER XYII. 

CLOSE OF THE PASTORATE OF REV. R. B. BELVILLE. 

Mr. Belville's health impaired. — Resignation of the pastorate. — 
Election of Elders. — Resolutions of Session. — Action of Presby- 
tery. — Removal from Neshaminy. — Sickness, death, and epi- 
taph. ....... 203 

CHAPTER XV J II. 

DIVISION OF THE CHURCH — ELECTION OF A PASTOR. 

Congregational meeting. — Voters entitled to elect. — Rev. J. P. 
Wilson chosen. — Decision of Presbytery. — Meeting of the Trus- 
tees. — Presbyterial supplies. — Second congregational meeting. — 
Resolution to change Presbyterial relations. — Mr. Wilson or- 
dained and installed. — Suit in Court.— Compromise.— Terms of 
settlement. — The Meeting House purchased. — The church in 
Hartsville. ... . . . . 209 

CHAPTER XIX. 

PASTORATE OF REV. J. P. WILSON. 

Election of Elders. — Church remodeled. — Conversions. — Revivals. 
— Comments of Mr. Wilson.— Baptisms. — Mr. Wilson chosen 
President of Delaware College. — Resignation of pastorate. — 
Resolutions of the congregational meeting. — Mr. Wilson's subse- 
quent life. ...... 218 

CHAPTER XX. 

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 

Joseph Hart.— William Carr.— Robert Darrah.— Dr. James S. Rich. 
—Rev. James A. Darrah.— Benjamin F. Wright.— George W. 
Hart.— The McKinstry family. .... 226 

CHAPTER XXI. 

PASTORATE OF REV. D. K. TURNER. 

Congregational Meeting.— Election of Pastor.— Ordination.— Elec- 
tion of Elders.— Payment of church debt.— Erection of a lecture 
room.— School-house at the grave-yard.— Wall of the Cemetery. 
—The choir and organ.— The well.— Festival for the Chapel.— 
New roof on the church.— Meeting of the Presbytery.— Platform 



CONTENTS. IX 

and piazza. — Erection of the Cemetery Chapel. — Sabbath-schools. 
Dedication of the Chapel. — Addresses. — Kesolutions. — Election 
of Elders. — Rooms for meetings. — Baptisms. — Marriages. — 
Funerals. — Revivals. — Additions to the church. — Pastor's 
Library. ....... 235 

CHAPTER XXII. 

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 

Rev. M. Long.— Prof. C. Long.— The War of the Rebellion.— Har- 
man Y. Beans. — Cephas Ross. — J. Lewis Widdifield. — R. H. 
Darrah. — Byron Hart. — Samuel Croasdale. — James H. Hart. — 
Other soldiers. . . . . . . 254 

CHAPTER XXIII. 

CLOSE OF PASTORATE OF REV. D. K. TURNER. 

Resignation of pastorate. — Resolutions of the congregation. — 
Meeting of Presbytery. —Supplies for the Pulpit. — Purchase of 
the Parsonage. — New Cemetery. .... 275 

CHAPTER XXIV. 

PASTORATE OF REV. W. E. JONES. 

Election of Pastor. — Installation. — Side walk to the Church. — Sab- 
bath-school in Winter. — Accessions to the Church.— Revival. — 
Gallery pews. — Churches that have sprung from Neshaminy 
Church 280 



APPENDIX. 

A. — Present Organization of the Church, . . 289 

B. — Charter of Incorporation, . . . .■ 290 

C— By-Laws, 1784, ..... 297 

D. — By-Laws concerning the burying ground, 1810, . 298 

E. — By-Laws concerning the pews, . . . 299 

F.— Deed of Trust for Church lot. February, 1744-5, . 301 

G.— List of Elders, ..... 305 

H.— List of Treasurers, ..... 306 

I.— List of Trustees, ..... 306 

J.— List of Sextons, . . . . . .308 

K.— Collectors of Pew Rents, 1793, ... 308 



: CONTENTS. 

L.— Collectors of Pew Rents, 1807, . . . 310 

M.— Collectors of Pew Rents, 1843, ... 312 

N.— List of Pewholders, 1785, . . . .312 

O. — List of Subscribers for Repair of the Grave-yard, 1851, 316 

P. — List of Subscribers for Purchase of the Organ, 1853, 317 

Q. — List of Subscribers to the Cemetery Chapel, 1871, 318 

R. — List of Subscribers to the Parsonage, 1873, . . 319 

S. — Legacies, ...... 321 

T.— Captain Henry Darrah's Company of Soldiers, 1777, . 321 

U.— " " " " " 1778, 323 

V. — List of Persons buried in Neshaminy Cemetery, . 325 

W.— Part of the Will of Rev. William Tennent, Sen., . 348 

X.— History of Ladies Aid Society, 1861, . . 349 



CORRESPONDENCE. 



Rev. and Dear Sir : 

I take pleasure in sending you the following extract from 
the Minutes of the Session of the Neshaminy Presbyterian Church 
of Warwick, Hartsville, Pa. : 

" Hartsville, Pa., September 24, 1875. 

" Whereas, It has come to the knowledge of the Session, that the 
Rev. D. K. Turner has written an extended history of this ancient 
and honored church; therefore, 

" Resolved, 1. That it is a source of sincere gratification to us, that 
one so abundantly qualified by a pastorate over the church of 
twenty-five years has undertaken such a work. 

" Resolved, 2. That we do hereby earnestly request Mr. Turner to 
publish the said history in some permanent form at his earliest 

convenience." _ -^r^^-r-r^c^ 

WILLIAM E. JONES, 

Moderator of Session. 
To Rev. D. K. Turner. 



Hartsville, Pa., October 1, 1875. 

To the Session of Neshaminy Church : 

Dear Brethren : 

In accordance with your request I will in a short time 
commit to the press the history of the church, which it has given 
me much pleasure to prepare. I am aware of the imperfection of 
the work, and comply with the desire expressed in your action 
with diffidence, yet feeling that some memorial ought to exist in 
printed form of a branch of the family of Christ, which He has 
blessed through so many generations. 

Thanking you for the sentiments of kind regard accompanying 

your request, I am, 

Yours, sincerely, 

D. K. TURNER. 



SUCCESSIOT^T OF PASTORS 



NESHAMINY CHURCH. 



I. Rev. William Tennent, Sen., from 1726 to 1742. Died May 0, 

1745. Minister 16 years. Founder of Log College. 

II. Rev. Charles Beatty, from December 1, 1743 to his death. 

Died in Barbadoes, West Indies, August 13, 1772. Pastor 
nearly 29 years. 

III. Rev. Nathaniel Irwin, from November 3, 1774, to his death. 

Died March 3, 1812. Pastor nearly 38 years. 

IV. Rev. Robert B. Belville, from October 20, 1813 to November 1, 

1838. Pastor 25 years. 

V. Rev. James P. Wilson, D. D., from February 26, 1839, to June 

30, 1847. Pastor 8 years. 

VI. Rev. Douglas K. Turner, from April 18, 1848, to April 20, 

1873. Pastor 25 years. 

VII. Rev. William E. Jones, from October 23, 1873. Present 

Pastor. 



PREFACE 



Much difficulty has been experienced in preparing an 
account of the early history of Neshaminy Church by 
reason of a lack of necessary records. There are no Ses- 
sional records known to exist of a period previous to 
1835. Perhaps no regular minutes of the Session were 
kept prior to that date. If any were written they are 
now lost. The Minutes of the Corporation, or Board of 
Trustees, extend back only to 1788, and the Eecord of 
Births, Baptisms and Marriages to the same period. The 
only manuscript document belonging to the church, of a 
more ancient date, that has fallen into the hands of the 
writer, is a small receipt book, bound in parchment, con- 
taining receipts for the payment of salary, and a few 
other memoranda made in 1743 and following years. If 
all the Eecords of the old Presbytery of Philadelphia had 
been preserved, much light would no doubt have been 
shed by them upon the infancy of this church. But un- 
fortunately they are wanting from 1717 to 1733, and 
from 1746 to 1758, and the information they might have 
given, had they come down to us, was desired in vain. 
Such facts as it has been possible to gather from the ob- 
scurity of the distant past in reference to the rise and 
progress of religion at Neshaminy are here given, and it 
is greatly to be regretted that their number is so small. 

Many of the events referred to in the " History of Log 



XVI PREFACE. 

College," by Rev. A. Alexander, D. D., published by the 
Presbyterian Board of Publication, are mentioned in this 
volume, and the present writer is much indebted to that 
work. He would express his obligations also to Rev. C. 
C. Beatty, D. D., of Steubenville, Ohio, for information 
found in his " Memoir of the Beatty Family," in reference 
to Rev. C. Beatty and his descendants. 

George Jamison, Esq., of Warwick, Pa., likewise fur- 
nished many facts in the accoant of Rev. IsT. Irwin. 

The profile portrait of Rev, Wm. Tennent, Sr., was 
secured through the kindness of the Presbyterian Board 
of Publication, and its Corresponding Secretary, Rev. 
W. E. Schenck, D. D., and of Mr. Samuel Agnew, Libra- 
rian of the Presbyterian Historical Society. The photo- 
graphs, from which the engravings of the Church and 
Lecture Room were prepared, were taken gratuitously by 
George Maris, Esq., an amateur artist of Buckingham, 
Pa., who was formerly a member of the congregation of 
Neshaminy. 



HISTORY 



NESHAMINY PEESBYTERIAN CHURCH. 



CHAPTER I. 

EARLY SETTLEMENT, 



The IS'eshaminy Presbyterian Church is located on the 
southern edge of Warwick Township, Bucks County, 
Pennsylvania, near the smaller branch of the I^eshaminy 
Creek where that stream crosses the boundary line be- 
tween the Townships of Warwick and Warminster. This 
branch, sometimes called the " Western," about three miles 
from the church joins the main stream, which above the 
junction is termed the " K'orth Branch ;" and the whole 
region about the middle of the last century was denomi- 
nated the " Forks of the Neshaminy." That descriptive 
epithet was not unfrequently then applied to the church. 
In the " Annals of Philadelphia and Pennsylvania," vol. 
2, p. 96, Watson speaks of " Log College " as founded at 
the " Forks of ISTeshaminy," though properly speaking it 
was several miles from the point where the two branches 



Z HISTORY OF 

unite. In 1743 a minute was made in an old receipt book 
belonging to the church, in which the church is called 
" This Congregation of Warwick in y*^ Forks of 'Ne- 
shaminy." 

The neighb'^rhood was probably settled to some extent 
about the commencement of the eighteenth centurj-, the 
land being originally taken up by English people, from 
William Penn, " Grovernor and Proprietary of the Province 
of Pennsylvania." The ground on which the present 
church stands, was owned in 1709 by James Boydon, 
whose land extended north-east, till it reached the land of 
John Henry Sprogell of Philadelphia, then comprising 
a tract of 1000 acres, in which is now included the village 
of Jamison's Corner."'^ 

The land both south and north of the church, a dis- 
tance of several miles, was divided into large tracts of 250 
and 500 acres each, and no doubt was covered Avith forest 
until after the year 1720, and the population must have 



"•'" From an old deed, now in possession of John J. Spencer, Esq., 
^Ye learn that Benjamin Furly, who is said to have first purchased 
5,000 acres in the Province of Pennsylvania, obtained in 1703 a 
patent for 1,000 acres from Wm. Penn, or his commissioners, Edward 
Shippen, Griffith Owen, Thomas Story, and James Logan ; the rent 
of which was to be annually one English silver shilling, which M'as- 
to be paid from the year 1684, a point of time two years after Penn 
landed in America. Benjamin Furly then appears to have been 
the first owner under Penn of a considerable part of tlie centre of 
Warwick Township. In 1708 he sold his patent to John H. Spro- 
gell, of Philadelphia, who in 1709 sold it to Thomas Freese for £200. 
The next OAvners, of whom Ave have knowledge, were Jeremiah 
Langhorne, of " Middle ToAvn,ship,"' and Joseph Kirkbride, of Falls, 
who, Feb. 26, 1724, leased 500 acres to Henrv Jamison for -'five 



NESHAMINY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. 8 

been extremely small and scattered. It has been generally- 
supposed that the church was founded in 1710, and that its 
first minister was Rev. Paul us Van Vleck. This idea seems 
to have arisen from the fact, that in the " Records of the 
Presbyterian Church," published by the Presbyterian 
Board of Publication, page 17, it is mentioned, that Mr. 
Van Vleck in 1710 was admitted, " after serious debating 
thereon," as a member of the Presbytery of Philadelphia, 
and that an Elder, Lenard Van Degrift, who came with 
him, was admitted at the same time. [Subsequently, in 
1712, — page 25 — it is stated, that Mr. Van Vleck made 
complaint "with respect to the people of Neshaminy ;" 

shillings, lawful money/" on condition that he paid, on the first of 
January every year, " one pepper corne onely, if the same be law- 
fully demanded." The land around this tract was owned in 1709 by 
Alexander Parl<;er, James Boyden, John Grey, and Nathan Stan- 
bury. These are Enghsh names, and seem to indicate that the first 
owners of the soil were English people, but whether any of them 
actually resided there previously to that date is doubtful. 

The land south-west of the church, which is now iir possession of 
R. Henderson Darrah and John Darrah, originally belonged to a 
tract of 500 acres, which was granted May 5, 1684, by William Penn 
to John Jones, of the city of London, England. Upon the death of 
Jones, his sister Elizabeth Hilton inherited it, and she, after it had 
been laid out in two tracts of 250 acres each, by virtue of warrants 
given on behalf of John Jones to Henry Waddy and John Eush, 
sold the whole 500 acres to Thomas Chalkley for £30, English 
money, September 4th, 1719. Chalkley sold half of it, March 
6th, 1723, to William Stockdell, of Bucks County, for £122, lO's. 
The deed of Mrs. Hilton to T. Chalkley was " stamped with three 
sixpenny stamps, according to law," and witnessed by six witnesses, 
all residents of London, where the deed was written. 

William Stockdell in 1723 was clearly the first owner of the land 



HISTORY OF 



implying that he was the minister of that people. A 
letter was sent by the Presbytery, September 19, 1712, 
"to the people to whom Mr. Van Vleck did use to 
preach," in regard to difficulties existing between them. 
And another letter was sent by a Committee of the 
Presbytery to "the Dutch people," of whom Mr. Van 
Yleck was the Pastor, October 25, 1712, concerning his 
relations to them. 

From these circumstances the idea arose, that Mr. Van 
Vleck was the first Pastor of the ITeshaminy Church in 
Warwick ; and some have supposed, that people from Hol- 
land first inhabited this neighborhood. But from the 



south-east of the church, who resided in Bucks County, and before 
that date it is not probable that it had been occupied or cultivated, 
but had been owned by persons in England and Philadelphia. 

From a deed now in possession of J. Lewis Widdifield, of Harts- 
ville, it appears that James Boyden, of Buckingham, who, no 
doubt, emigrated from England, purchased from William Penn 
1,000 acres of land, including the lot on which the church now 
stands. On May 25th, 1G84, he obtained from Penn a warrant for 
laying out probablj' 500 acres, which was laid out September 25th, 
1G84, but which proved ultimately to be 484 acres. His son, James 
Boyden, Jr., lived in Philadelphia and inherited this tract, and his 
children, John, James and Mary, the latter of whom married Jacob 
Shute, all lived in Philadelphia and in their turn inherited it. They 
sold 3252- acres of this tract, December 8th and 9th, 1741, to Thomas 
Howell, of Warwick; and he (as appears from the deed of trust, a 
copy of which is in the Appendix to this volume) sold to the Trustees 
of Neshaminy Church, December 1st and 2d, 1743, two acres and 
two perches, the present church lot. Thomas Howell also sold, 
April 17th, 1742, 541 acres to John Griffith for £541, which is now 
owned by J. L. Widdifield. 



NBSHAMINY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. O 

fact, that the vicinity was almost entirely unsettled in 
1709, and that even as late as 1720, the inhabitants were 
few and scattered, it is almost certain that there could 
have been no church here at as early a date as that in 
which Mr. Van Yleck was received into the Presbytery : 
besides, he came from Holland (Records of Presby. Ch. page 
31), and his people were "Dutch people." But from the 
deeds given for land sold by William Penn to English 
people as early as 1703, the claims under warrants extend- 
ing back to 1684, we gather, that the Dutch, or Holland 
people, could not have resided here. Mr. Van Vleck must 
have been Pastor of another church cabled by the name of 
"■ Neshaminy," in some other locality. The church, of 
which he was the minister appears, through researches 
made by G-en. W". W. H. Davis of Doylestown, to have 
been in Southampton Township, at the village formerly 
called " The Bu'.k," now Feasterville, which had the name 
of " N"eshaminy Church " in early times, as it was but two 
or three miles from the " ITeshaminy Creek." That con- 
gregation was composed of Hollanders, and is at present, 
and has been many years, worshiping at Churchville, 
where a new meeting-house was erected in 1814 for the 
united congregations of" the Buck " and " the Bear," which 
are associated with the " Reformed Church of America," 
lately the " Reformed Dutch Church." 

Lenard Van Degrift was a resident of Bensalem Town- 
ship, and connected with the Presbyterian Church of 
Bensalem, which in its early history seems to have been 
under the same pastoral charge with the church at " the 
Buck," as they were but five or six miles apart, and he 
might naturally have appeared at Presbytery with Mr. 



6 HISTORY OF 

Van A'leck, as the latter had both churches under his care. 
Mr. Van Vleck remained in the Presbjterj but a short 
time ; being accused of having left his wife in Holland 
and marrying another in this country, and of prevarication 
and forgery in maintaining that his real wife was dead, he 
ceased preaching by request of the Presbytery, and in 1714 
went to parts unknown. 

In 1710 the number of churches of the Presbyterian order 
in America, south of JSTew York, was very small. In 
a letter addressed by the Presbytery of Philadelphia to the 
Presbytery of Dublin, Ireland, dated September, 1710 
(Records of Presby. Oh., p. 20), we find these words : 
" As to the state of the church in these parts, our interest 
truly is very weak, and we cannot relate this matter with- 
out sorrow of heart, since it is too much owing to the 
neglect of ministers at home. In all Virginia there is but 
one small [Presbyterian] congregation at Elizabeth River, 
and some few families favoring our way in Rappahannock 
and York ; in Maryland only four ; in Pennsylvania five, 
and in the Jerseys two, which bounds, with some places of 
^ew York, makes up all the bounds we have any members 
from, and at present some of these be vacant." 

There were then but twelve Presbyterian churches south 
and west of isTew York, and a large part of these were 
feeble, and some destitute of the regular preaching of the 
word. iTow, leaving out the Synod of IsTew York, there 
are almost 5,000 churches and more than 470,000 com- 
municant members connected with the Presbyterian 
General Assembly, besides all the other congregations of 
the Presbyterian name. " What hath God wrought I" 

But in consequence of the liberal policy of William 



NESHAMINY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. ' 7 

Penn, many of the Scotch-Irish a few years later crossed 
the Atlantic and sousjht new homes on these western 
shores, where they might find a wider field for efibrts for 
themselves and their children, and freedom to worship 
God according to their own consciences, enlightened by 
his word. The " Scotch-Irish " were descendants of inhabi- 
tants of Scotland, who had gone westward over the narrow 
-channel dividing the two islands, and had settled in Ire- 
land. And some generations later, when this continent 
was opened for occupation by the multitudes of Europe, 
they followed the "Star of Empire" in "its westward 
■way " over the wide sea. 

Dr. Alexander, in the memoir of Rev. William Robin- 
son, Historj^ of Log College, p. 217, says, " The Presby- 
terians from the JN'orth of Ireland, between the years 1720 
and 1730, had come over to America in large numbers. 
They generally landed at New Castle or Philadelphia, and 
then proceeded to the interior of the country." Rev. 
Samuel Blair, in a letter written in 1744, dated at 'New 
Londonderry, Pennsylvania, says, " All our congregations 
in Pennsylvania, except two or three, chiefly are made up 
of people from Ireland," — Log College, p. 175. He adds 
in a note, " It may be convenient here to observe that in 
Ireland are three different sorts of people, deriving from 
three several nations: 1. Those who descend from the 
ancient Irish ; and these are generally Roman Catholics. 
2. Those who descend from ancestors who came from 
England ; and these are generally Church of England 
men. 3, Those who descend from ancestors who came 
from Scotland since the Reformation ; and these are generally 
Presbyterians, who chiefly inhabit the northerly parts 



8 HISTORY OF 

of Ireland ; and these are the people, who have of late yearSy 
in great numbers, removed thence into these American 
regions." 

Watson in his "Annals," Vol. 2, p. 259, says, "The 
Irish emigrants did not begin to come into Pennsylvania 
until about the year 1719; those who did come were 
generally from the north of Ireland." 



CHAPTER II. 

REV. WILLIAM TENNBNT. 

In 1716 or 1717 Rev. William Tentient came from Ire- 
land to America. Born in or about 1673, he was in 
middle life, 43 or 44 years of age, when he first reached 
our shores. It is probable that he received his educa- 
tion in Trinity College, Dublin, as he was originally a 
Clergyman of the Episcopal Church of Ireland, in which 
he was ordained a Deacon, July 1,1704, and a Priest, Sep- 
tember 22, 1706. He was married to Catharine Kennedy, 
a daughter of the Rev. Mr. Kennedy, May, 1702, in the 
County of Down, in the IS'orth of Ireland. This Mr. 
Kennedy was an able and eloquent Presbyterian Minister, 
who having suffered persecution in his own country fled 
to Holland, as some of the settlers of Plymouth Colony 
in Massachusetts had done half a century before, when 
treated in like manner in England. His daughter, who 




REV. WILLIAM TENNENT, Sr. 



NESHAMINY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. 9 

became Mrs. Teiinent, was doubtless a woman of unusual 
talent, as she was the mother of four sons, born in Ireland, 
who were^ subsequently distinguished preachers of the 
Gospel in America. Perhaps it was through her inEuence 
in part, as well as that of his father-in-law, that Mr. 
Tennent withdrew from the Episcopal Church and entered 
the Presbyterian. He acted in Ireland as Chaplain to a 
nobleman, but there is no evidence that he ever had charge 
of a parish in that country. 

On the 16th of September, 1718, he applied to the Synod 
of Philadelphia for admission as a member, having previous 
to that time been an Episcopalian. The Synod were well 
satisfied with the credentials he presented, and with the 
testimony of members present, to his character, standing, 
and history ; and approving the reasons he submitted in 
\yriting for leaving the Established Church of Ireland, they 
ordered that they should be put on record " ad futuram rei 
memoriam." By direction of the Synod " the Moderator 
o-ave him a serious exhortation to continue steadfast in his 
now holy profession." 

The following are the "=«' Reasons of Mr. William Ten- 
nent for his dissenting from the Established Church in 
Ireland, delivered by him to the reverend Synod held at 
Philadelphia, the 17th day of September, 1718. 

Imprimis. Their government by Bishops, Arch-Bishops, 
Deacons, Arch-Deacons, Canons, Chapters, Chancellors, 
Yicars, wholly anti-scriptural. 

2. Their discipline by Surrogates and Chancellors in 
their courts Ecclesiastic, without a foundation.in the word 
of God. 



* Records of Presby. Ch., p. 51. 



10 HISTORY OF 

3. Tlieir abuse of that supposed discipline by com- 
mutation. 

4. A Diocesan Bishop cannot be founded jure divino 
npon those Epistles to Timothy and Titus, nor anywhere 
else in the word of God, and so is a mere human inven- 
tion. 

5. The usurped power of the Bishops at their yearly 
visitations, acting all of themselves, without consent of the 
brethren. 

6. Pluralities of benefices. 

Lastly. The churches conniving at the practice of 
Arminian doctrines, inconsistent with the eternal pur- 
pose of God, and an encouragement of vice. 

Besides I could not be satisfied with their ceremonial 
way of worship. 

These, &c., have so affected my conscience that I could 
no longer abide in a church where the same are practiced. 
Signed by William Teunent." 

The Synod recommended to him to connect himself 
with whatever Presbytery he found it convenient within 
the bounds of the Synod, and it is most likely that he 
joined the Presbytery of Long Island, as he lived for about 
three years after this in the vicinity of New York, *at 
East Chester and at Bedford. There was then but one 
Synod in the whole Presbyterian Church of America, and 
as its meetings were held uniformly in Philadelphia, Mr. 
Tennent was present but once, viz., in the year 1721, for 
eight years, detained probably by distance and want of 
good public conveyances. It is stated in the History of 
Log College, p. 20, that " at the next meeting of the Synod 
* History of Log College, p. 14. 



NESHAMINY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. 11 

of Philadelphia after his reception, he delivered before 
that body an elegant Latin oration." If by " the next 
meeting," be meant the next year, this could not be true, for 
he was not present that year ; but the oration may have 
been pronounced at some other time, as he was an eminent 
classical scholar, though it is not mentioned in the Records 
of the Synod. 

About the year 1721, *he came by invitation to Bensa- 
lem, Bucks Co., Pa., to supply the Presbyterian Church 



* Watson says (Annals, Vol. 2, p. 96) "Bucks County has the 
honor of havhig had located, at the Forks of the Neshammy, the 
once celebrated 'Log College,' so called, of the Eev. Wilham Tcn- 
nent, commenced there m 1721 ; and from it issued some of our 
best men of earliest renown. It was then the day of small things." 

It is not probable that the History of Log College is correct in 
stating that Mr. Tennent was in Bensalem from 1721 to 1726, for 
during that time a pastor of another name, a Dutch minister, had 
charge of the Bensalem Church, at least two or three years. At 
what time exactly Mr. Tennent came to Neshaminy is doubtful; 
but his absence from the Synod at Philadelphia seven years out of 
eight, from 1719 to 1727, being present only in 1721, would indicate 
that he did not reside in Pennsylvania'; for from 1727 to 1741, when 
he left the Synod and joined the New Brunswick Presbytery, he was 
present at the meetings of Synod every year but one. He was 
absent in 1735. It is probable, therefore, that he did not come to 
Pennsylvania to reside permanently till 1726, when he came to 
Neshaminy, though he may have preached some time about 1721 
at Bensalem. If he was at either Bensalem or Neshaminy, which 
places are within twenty miles from Philadelphia, why was he pres- 
ent only once in eight years at the meetings of Synod, which were 
uniformly held in Philadelphia? 

It has generally been supposed that Mr. Tennent came to War- 
minster, below^ Hartsville, and established "Log College" there in 



12 HISTORY OF 

there with the stated means of grace. This church was 
small and feeble, as the population at that period, in that 
region, was thin and scattered, a wide forest extending in 
almost every direction. He remained there only a short 
time. He was not present at any meeting of the Synod 
during those five years, and we know nothing of his labors, 
trials, or successes. It is almost certain that he was much 
engaged then in. giving instruction to his four sons, who 
were in their boyhood and youth, and who received a 
thorough classical education, when there were no schools 
in the county at which such a training could be had. 
It is probable that he also taught some other boys, and 
assisted iu cultivatino- their minds and formino; their 
characters, during the week, as well as proclaimed the 
truths of the Gospel on the Sabbath. 

In 1726 he was invited to take charge of the Church 



17l26. But this could not have been the fact, as he did not purchase 
what is known as the " Log College " property till September 11, 1735. 
Previous to that time, or at that time, he resided in Northampton 
ToAvnship, exactly where is not known. Old deeds now in posses- 
sion of Mr. Cornelius Carrell, the owner of part of the Tennent prop- 
erty, show the history of the farm to be as follows : 

March 24th, 1724. Charles Read, Job Goodson, Evan Owen, 
George Fitzwater, and Joseph Pidgeon, Trustees of the Free Society 
of Traders in Pennsylvania, gave to James Steel, of Philadelphia, a 
warrant for 1,000 acres of land. 

March 25th, 1724. A warrant for the survey of 100 acres was 
made out to Jacob Taylor, Surveyor of the Province of Pennsylva- 
nia, which was laid off for James Steel. 

September 13th, 1728. James Steel sold this land to John Linter, 
of Warminster, for £60. 

June 30th, 1732. John Linter, of New York, whither h'e had 



NESHAMINY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. 13 

at ISTeshaminy.g He accepted the invitation, and though 
never installed as Pastor in due form, he remained there 
till his death, a period of twenty years ; but for the last four 
years he was not actively engaged in the ministry. Many 
of the clergy and members of the Presbyterian Church at 
this period were thought to be deficient in zeal and devo- 
tion to the progress of religion and the salvation of souls. 
They were correct in their creed,and maintained most of the 
doctrines of the evangelical system of faith. But their 
piety had become somewhat cold, and their efforts for the 



moved, sold by Thomas Davids, of Northampton Township, his 
Attorney, this land to Joseph Howell, of Philadelphia. 

Joseph Howell died, leaving Wm. Howell and Martha, his wife, 
executors of his will. A claim of £71 Is. Ud, of John White and 
Abraham Taylor, not being paid by the executors, the Sheriff, Tim- 
othy Smith, of Bucks Co., sold it to John White for £121, August 
30th, 1735. 

September 11th, 1735. John White, of Philadelphia, sold it to 
Kev. Wm. Tennent, of jSTorthampton, Bucks Co., Pa., for £140. 

February 28th, 1746. Rev. Gilbert Tennent, of Philadelphia, exec- 
utor of the real estate of Mr. Wm. Tennent, sold to John Baldwin, 
of Warminster, for £361. John Bakhvin sold it to Carroll. 

Mr. Tennent must have had the institution under his charge in 
Northampton Township, or at some other place than on the farm, 
on which it was finally located in 1735 ; for in that year he is spoken 
of as a resident of Northampton. 

I Mr. Tennent may have gathered and organized the church of 
Neshaminy. A stone of red sand-stone, now in the grave-yard wall 
near the gate, has on it the date 1727. This same stone was once 
in the old church, which stood in the grave-yard, in which Mr. 
Tennent preached, and probably indicates the date when the first 
house of worship was built. It is quite probable that the church 
organization was formed either that year or the year before. 



14 HISTORY OF 

spiritual welfare of men were too formal and heartless. 
They opposed " new measures," which were adopted in 
some sections for the elevation of the church to a higher 
plane of religious feeling and living, and were content with 
going through without much emotion the same routine 
of services year after year. Many became connected with 
the churches, who gave no evidence in their lives of being 
Christians ; and the children of persons who were baptized, 
though not in full communion with the church, were exten- 
sively admitted by Pastors to the ordinance of baptism 
under what was sometimes called the " half way covenant." 
Some of the ministry and laity however greatly lamented 
the decay of vital godliness, and sympathized with any 
proper means for promoting it. Among these was Mr. 
Tennent. He was anxious to see the church " fair as the 
moon, clear as the sun, and terrible as an army with ban- 
ners," and to behold the standard of the cross borne high 
above all forms of wickedness. He rejoiced in the coming 
of Rev. George Whiteiield to this country, and viewed him 
as a messenger of Grod sent to accomplish great good 
among this people. When he learned that this eminent 
servant of Christ was in Philadelphia, he went a distance 
of twenty miles from his home to see him, and converse 
with him upon the interests of religion in the land. Mr. 
Whiteiield was much gratified with this visit, and the more 
so because most of the members of the Presbytery of Phila- 
delphia did not view his measures or work with approba- 
tion. He says in his Journal, after he had been out in the 
city making a call, " On my return home was much com- 
forted by the coming of one Mr. Tennent, an old gray- 
headed disciple and soldier of Jesus Christ. He keeps an 



NESHAMINY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, 15 

academy about twenty miles from Philadelphia, and has 
been blessed with four gracious sons, throe of which have 
been and still continue to be eminently useful in the 
Church of Christ. He brought three pious souls along 
with him, and rejoiced me by letting me know how they 
had been spoken evil of for their Master's sake. He is a 
great friend to Mr, Erskine of Scotland ; and as far as I can 
learn, both he and his sons are secretly despised by the 
generality of the Sjaiod, as Mr, Erskine and his friends are 
hated by the judicatories of Edinburgh, and as the Meth- 
odist Preachers, (as they are called) are by their brethren 
in England," 

In the autumn of 1739, Mr. Whitefield visited Philadel- 
phia again, and on his way from IsFew York stopped by 
previous arrangement at ISTeshaminy. He speaks of this 
visit in his Journal in the following terms : 

" 'Nov. 22 [1739.] Set out for Neshaminy, twenty miles 
distant from Trent-Town, where old Mr. Tennent lives, 
and keeps an academy ; and where I was to preach to-day 
according to appointment. About 12 o'cl'k we came thither 
and found about three thousand people gathered together in 
the meeting-house yard.'"' Mr. William Tennent, Jr., an 
eminent servant of Jesus Christ, because we stayed beyond 
the time appointed, was preaching to them. When I came 
up he soon stopped, sung a psalm, and then I began to 
speak as the Lord gave me utterance. At lirst the people 
seemed unafiected, but in the midst of my discourse 
the power of the Lord Jesus came upon me, and I felt 
such a struggling within myself for the people, as I 
scarce ever felt before. The hearers began to be melted 



* This was in the present gniYe-yaiil. 



16 HISTORY OP 

down immediately and to cry much ; and we had good 
reason to hope the Lord intended good for many. After 
I had finished, Mr. Grilbert Tennent gave a word of exhor- 
tation, to confirm what had been delivered. At the 
end of his discourse we sung a psalm and dismissed the peo- 
ple with a blessing. that the people may say amen to it ! 
After our exercises were over we went to old Mr. Ten- 
nent's, who entertained us like one of the ancient patri- 
archs. His wife to me seemed like Elizabeth, and he like 
Zachary ; both, as far as I can learn, walk in all the com- 
mandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless. Though 
God was pleased to humble my soul, so that I was obliged 
to retire for a while ; yet we had sweet communion with 
each other, and spent the evening in concerting what 
measures had best be taken for promoting our dear Lord's 
Kingdom. It happened very providentially that Mr. 
Tennent and his brethren are appointed to be a Presbytery 
by the Synod, so that they intend bringing up gracious 
youths, and sending them out from time to time into the 
Lord's vineyard. The place wherein the young men study 
now, is, in contempt, called the College. 

" Friday, N'ov. 23. Parted with dear Mr. Tennent and 
his other worthy fellow laborers ; but promised to remem- 
ber each other publicly in our prayers." 

At this meeting at ]^eshaminy, when Mr. Whitefield 
preached, people assembled from the country a great dis- 
tance in circuit, and from Philadelphia. His fame had 
spread all over the land, and when it was announced that 
he was to speak in any place, his hearers were numbered 
by thousands, so great was the desire to listen to his elo- 
quence, and to witness the effects of the presence of the 



NE3HAMINY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. 17 

Holy Spirit, which usually attended him. On the next 
day after the meeting at E'eshaminy he proceeded to 
Philadelphia, and we are not informed that Mr. Tennent 
and he ever met again. They were animated by a kin- 
dred spirit, and were dear to each other, as brethren 
engaged in the same great work, and acting on similar 
principles. Scarcely any of the ministers of America are 
spoken of by Mr. "Whiteiield in more affectionate and 
honorable terms than Mr. Tennent. They were both de- 
nounced and ridiculed by many of the Presbyterian clergy 
of that day, but posterity has set the seal of its approba- 
tion upon their motives, character, and labors. 

At the time Mr. Tennent came to Pennsylvania there 
was no institution for the education of pious young men, 
with particular reference to the ministry, within the 
bounds of the Presbyterian Church. Some of the minis- 
ters needed to supply congregations, vacant or newly or- 
ganized, and to preach in infant settlements, came from 
Scotland, the ]!!Torth of Ireland, Wales, and England, sorre 
from 'New England, and a few were educated by pastors 
at their homes. He felt that there was great need of 
a school, in which youth of talent and piety might be 
trained for the sacred office, and in which their minds 
might be imbued with earnest zeal for the glory of God 
and the salvation of the irreligious. He had commenced 
the education of his own sons previously, and Gilbert, 
when he came to ISTeshaminy, was nearly prepared for 
ordination. He desired to continue the training of his 
own family and to provide means for the instruction of 
others, that the principles of evangelical, vital piety he 
held dear might be widely extended. 



18 HISTORY OF 

Influenced by these considerations, he erected a building 
of logs, cut probably from the ground around the site, 
just across the road from his residence, about a mile south 
of the present village of Harts ville, on the main road to 
Philadelphia, eighteen miles north of that city. This 
road is called the " York Road," because at that time and 
for half a century or more afterwards, it was the prin- 
cipal route of travel between Philadelphia and New York. 
[In 1751 Benjamin Franklin was appointed Deputy Post 
Master General for the colonies united by the " Albany 
Congress," and in that capacity he used to travel up and 
down this road in a chaise, superintending the mails. 
How great a change in the Postal service of the country 
since that day!] 

This log structure was small and humble, being but 
about twenty feet long by eighteen broad, and was used 
like modern school-houses for the pupils to study and 
recite in. There were no dormitories attached to it, and 
the young men instructed there were boarded and lodged 
in the neighborhood by friends, or by Mr. Tennent himself. 
There is no doubt that he benevolently provided for some 
in this way, and at considerable expense, and probably 
involved himself in pecuniary difficulties, that he might 
assist young men in their education. He borrowed a sum 
of money from the fund of the Synod, the interest of 
which was remitted to him several years by vote of the 
Synod ; *and so great was the confidence of his brethren 
in him, that they took his own bond for it after a time, 
instead of an obligation upon certain real estate. 

Mr. Whitefield in his Journal thus speaks of Mr. 

* Records of Presby. Ch., p. 88. 



NESHAMINY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. 19 

Temient's institution. " It is a log house about twenty 
feet long and near as many broad ; and to me it seemed to 
resemble the school of the old prophets, for their habita- 
tions were mean ; and that they sought not great things 
for themselves is plain from those passages of Scripture 
wherein we are told, that each of them took them a beam 
to build them a house, and that at the feast of the sons of 
the prophets one of them put on the pot whilst the others 
went to fetch some herbs out of the field. All that we 
can say of most of our universities is, that they are glori- 
ous without. From this despised place seven or eight 
worthy ministers of Jesus have lately been sent forth ; 
more are ready to be sent, and the foundation is now lay- 
ing for the instruction of many others." 



CHAPTER III. 

REV. WILLIAM TENNENT's SONS. 

Among those who were educated wholly or in part at 
this school, or connected with it, were Gilbert, William, 
John, and Charles Tennent, sons of the founder ; all 
preachers of the Gospel of unusual excellence and devoted- 
ness. Gilbert, the oldest son of Mr. Tennent, born in the 
County of Armagh, Ireland, April 5, 1703, and about 
fourteen years old when his father and family came to 



20 HISTORY OF 

this country, was licensed to preach in 1726 by the Pres- 
bytery of Philadelphia, and assisted his father in teaching 
for a year at Log College, when he became pastor of a 
church in ISTew Brunswick, IST. J., and in 1748 was called 
to the charge of the Second Church in Philadelphia, where 
he remained until his death in 1764, in the sixty-second 
year of his age. He was buried at first under the middle 
aisle of the Second Church, and when the building waS' 
remodeled his remains were deposited in the grave-yard 
belonging to that church, in Arch street between Fifth 
and Sixth streets, and in 1853 they were removed to the 
cemetery of the Presbyterian Church in Abington, Pa.,, 
where they now lie. He was a man of great power in 
the pulpit • clear, searching, and pungent in applying the 
truths of God's word to the consciences of his hearers ;. 
and Mr. Whitefield, with whom he labored much in revi- 
vals of religion, speaks of him in the highest terms, as an 
able, earnest, and effective preacher. He was one of the 
principal agents in bringing about the division of the 
Synod of Philadelphia, which took place in 1741 and con- 
tinued till 1758, seventeen years. Being one of the princi- 
pal leaders among the "New Lights," as they were called,, 
because they favored new measures in eflbrts to secure the 
conversion of sinners and the sanctification of believers, 
the majority of the Synod did not sympathize with him, 
and after years of earnest, and sometimes intemperate 
discussion, he and those whose views were similar to his^ 
withdrew and formed the Synod of New York. When 
the two Synods were united in 1758 Rev. Gilbert Tennent 
was elected Moderator, which shows that he was held in 
high esteem by both the large bodies in the Presbyterian 
Church. 



NESHAMINY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. 21 

William Tenneiit, Jr., the second son of William 
Teunent, Sr., was born in the County of Armagh, Ire- 
land, June 8, 1705, and was eleven or twelve years old 
when he came to America. He was educated by his 
father before coming to iS'eshaminy, and at that place in 
English studies and the classics, and made extensive attain- 
ments in the ancient languages, especially Latin. After 
his brother Gilbert had assumed the pastoral care of the 
church at I*^ew Brunswick, he felt it to be his duty to 
devote himself to the ministry and to follow the example 
of his father by spending his life in that sacred calling ; 
and as he had finished his academical studies, and assisted 
in instructing the pupils at " the college " for a year or 
two, he thought it best to repair to his brother's home 
to pursue the study of theology under his supervision. 
This was done with the consent and by the advice of his 
father, as he would enjoy greater advantages in many res- 
pects in a town than at home. He had gone through the 
regular course of systematic theology and was about to be 
examined by the Presbytery with a view to licensure to 
preach the Gospel, when a very remarkable event occurred 
in his history, which made a deep impression upon 
his character and his life. The account of it cannot be 
given in a better manner than in the words of Dr. Hen- 
derson of Freehold, K. J., as quoted in the History of Log 
College, p. 112. 

" His intense application " in preparing for his exami- 
nation, '• affected his health, and brought on a pain in his 
breast, and a slight hectic. He soon became emaciated, 
and at length was a living skeleton. His life was now 
threatened. He was attended b}' a physician, a young 



22 HISTORY OF 

gentleman who was attached to him by the strictest and 
warmest friendship. He grew worse and worse, till little 
hope of life was left. In this situation his spirits failed 
him, and he began to entertain doubts of his final happi- 
ness. He was conversing one morning; with his brother 
in Latin, on the state of his soul, when he fainted and 
died away. 

"After the usual time he was laid out on a board, accord- 
ing to the common practice of the country, and the neigh- 
borhood were invited. to attend his funeral on the next 
day. In the evening his physician and friend returned 
from a ride in the country, and was afilicted beyond meas- 
ure at the news of his death. He could not be persuaded 
that it was certain ; and on being told that one of the per- 
sons who had assisted in laying out the body thought he 
had observed a little tremor of the flesh under the arm, 
although the body was cold and stiff, he endeavored to 
ascertain the fact. He first put his own hand into warm 
water, to make it as sensible as possible, and then felt 
under the arm and at the heart, and affirmed that he felt 
an unusual warmth, though no one else could. He had 
the body restored to a warm bed, and insisted that the 
people who had been invited to the funeral should be re- 
quested not to attend. To this the brother objected as 
absurd, the eyes being sunk, the lips discolored, and the 
whole body cold and stiff. However, the doctor finally 
prevailed, and all probable means were used to discover 
symptoms of returning life. But the third day arrived, 
and no hopes were entertained of success but by the doc- 
tor, who never left him night nor day. The people were 
again invited, and assembled to attend the funeral. The 



NESHAMINY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. 23 

doctor still objected, and at last confined his request for 
delay to one hour, then to half an hour, and finally to 
quarter of an hour. He had discovered that the tongue 
was much swollen and threatened to crack. He was en- 
deavoring to soften it by sonie emollient ointment put 
upon it with a feather, when the brother came in about 
the expiration of the last period, and mistaking what the 
doctor was doing for an attempt to feed him, manifested 
some resentment, and in a spirited tone said, ' It is shame- 
ful to be feeding a lifeless corpse,' and insisted with 
earnestness that the funeral should proceed immediately 
At this critical and important moment, the body, to the 
great alarm and astonishment of all present, opened its 
eyes, gave a dreadful groan and sank again into apparent 
death. This put an end to all thoughts of burying him, 
and every effort was again employed in hopes of bringing 
about a speedy resuscitation. In about an hour the eyes 
again opened, a heavy groan proceeded from the body, 
and again all appearance of animation vanished. In an- 
other hour life seemed to return with more power, and a 
complete revival took place to the great joy of the family 
and friends, and to the no small astonishment and convic- 
tion of very many, who had been ridiculing the idea of 
restoring to life a dead body. 

" Mr. Tennent continued in so weak and low a state for 
six weeks, that great doubts were entertained of his final 
recovery. However, after that period he recovered much 
faster, but it was about twelve months before he was com- 
pletely restored. After he was able to walk the room, 
and to take notice of what passed around him, on a Sun- 
day afternoon, his sister, who had stayed from church to 



24 



HISTORY OF 



attend him, was reading in the Bible, when he took notice 
of it and asked her what she had in her hand. She an- 
swered that she was reading the Bible. He replied, 'What 
is the Bible ? I know not what you mean.' This aflected 
the sister so much that she burst into tears, and informed 
him that he was once well acquainted with it. On her 
rei^orting this to the brother, when he returned, Mr, Ten- 
nent was found upon examination to be totally ignorant of 
every transaction of life previous to his sickness. He 
could not read a single word, neither did he seem to have 
any idea of what it meant. As soon as he became capable 
of attention, he was taught to read and write, as children 
are usually taught, and afterwards began to learn the 
Latin language under the tuition of his brother. One day 
as he was reciting a lesson in Cornelius Nepos, he suddenly 
started, clapped his hand to his head, as if something had 
hurt him, and made a pause. His brother asking him 
what was the matter, he said that he felt a sudden shock 
in his head, and now it seemed to him as if he had read 
that book before. By degrees his recollection was restored, 
and he could speak the Latin as fluently as before his 
sickness. His memory so completely revived that he 
gained a perfect knowledge of the past transactions of his 
life, as if no difficulty had previously occurred. This event, 
at the time made a considerable noise, and afforded, not 
only matter of serious contemplation to the devout Christ- 
ian, especially when connected with what follows in this 
narration, but furnished a subject of deep investigation 
and learned inquiry to the real philosopher and curious 
anatomist. 

" The writer of these memoirs was greatly interested 



NESHAMINY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. 25 

by these uncommon events ; and on a favorable occasion 
earnestly pressed Mr. Tennent for a minute account of 
what his views and apprehensions were, while he laj in this 
extraordinary state of suspended animation. He discovered 
great reluctance to enter into any explanation of his per- 
ceptions and feelings at this time ; but being importuna- 
tely urged to do it, he at length consented, and proceeded 
with a solemnity not to be described. 

" ' While I was conversing with my brother' said he ' on 
the state of my soul, and the fears I had entertained for 
my future welfare, I foand myself, in an instant, in 
another state of existence, under the direction of a super- 
ior being, who ordered me to follow him. I was accord- 
ingly wafted along, I know not how, till I beheld at a 
distance an ineffable glory, the impression of which on 
my mind it is impossible to communicate to mortal man. I 
immediately reflected on my happy change, and thought, 
— Well, blessesd be God ! I am safe at last, notwithstand- 
ing all my fears. I saw an innumerable host of happy 
beings, surrounding the inexpressible glory, in acts of 
adoration and joyous worship ; but I did not see any 
bodily shape or representation in the glorious appearance. 
I heard things unutterable. I heard their songs and 
hallelujahs of thanksgiving and praise, with unspeakable 
rapture. I felt joy unutterable and full of glory. I then 
applied to my conductor, and requested leave to join the 
happy throng ; on which he tapped me on the shoulder, 
and said, 'You must return to the earth.' This seemed 
like a sword through my heart. In an instant I recollect 
to have seen my brother standing before me, disputing with 
the doctor. The three days during which I had appeared 



26 HISTORY OF 

lifeless, seemed to me not more than ten or twenty min- 
utes. The idea of returning to this world of sorrow and 
trouble gave me such a shock, that I fainted repeatedly.' 
He added, ' Such was the effect on my mind of what I 
had seen and heard, that if it be possible for a human 
being to live entirely above the world and the things of 
it, for some time afterwards I was that person. The rav- 
ishing sound of the songs and hallelujahs that I heard, 
and the very words uttered, were not out of my ears when 
awake for at least three years. All the kingdoms of the 
earth were in my sight as nothing and vanity ; and so 
great were my ideas of heavenly glory, that nothing which 
did not in some measure relate to it could command my 
serious attention.' " 

That Mr. Tennent actually died, as he seems to have 
supposed he did, when the foregoing circumstances took 
place, is not probable. His physical health was greatly 
impaired, and his body extremely weak. In consequence 
of this prostration he fell into an unconscious state, which 
no doubt would have resulted in death, if nothing had 
been done to arouse him. As his mind had been deeply 
exercised upon the subject of his personal salvation, it is 
not surprising that his thoughts should have been occu- 
pied with the glories of Heaven, when consciousness had 
fled ; nor that it should have seemed to him that he had 
been permitted to visit that blessed world. God, perhaps, 
allowed him to pass through this surprising experience, 
that he might be more thoroughly devoted to the work of 
the ministry, on which he was soon to enter. As soon as 
his health and other circumstances were favorable he was 
examined by the Presbytery of 'New Brunswick, and 



NESHAMIMY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. 27 

licensed to preach, when he at once commenced the work 
with earnestness and success. His brother John, who had 
been for a few years pastor of the church in Freehold, 
Monmouth Co., 'New Jersey, died about this time, which 
event left that church vacant, and William was invited to 
take charge of it. He accepted the call and was ordained 
and installed October, 1733. Here he remained until his 
death, March 8, 1777, a period of forty-four years. He 
was well read in the Classics, and in Divinity, and was a 
solemn and powerful preacher, and very faithful in dis- 
charging all the duties of the pastoral office. He also 
labored extensively outside of his own parish, in different 
parts of the State, in revivals of religion, and his efforts 
were the means of great good to many. He was an ardent 
patriot, and during the portion of the Eevolutionary War 
in which he lived, he desired warmly and prayed much 
for the success of the struggle of the American Colonies 
for independence of Great Britain. His end was peaceful 
after an illness of about ten days, during all of which he 
was calmly resigned to the will of God. When informed 
that he would not probably recover of the malady by 
which he had been attacked, he replied, " I am very 
sensible of the violence of my disorder ; that it has racked 
my constitution to an uncommon degree, and beyond what 
I have ever before experienced, and that it is accompanied 
with symptoms of approaching dissolution ; but blessed be 
God, I have no wish to live, if it should be his will and 
pleasure to call me hence." After a moment's pause he 
seemed to recollect himself, and varied the expression 
thus : " Blessed be God, I have no wish to live, if it 
should be his will and pleasure to call me hence, unless it 



28 HISTORY OP 

should be to see a liappy issue to the severe and arduous 
controversy my country is engaged in; but even in this 
the will of the Lord be done." He v^as buried in the 
church at Freehold, where he had so long and faithfully 
declared the counsel of God to his fellow men. 

John Tennent, the third son of E.ev. Wm. Tennent, Sr., 
was born in the county of Armagh, Ireland, 'Nov. 12, 1707, 
and was only nine or ten years old when the family came 
to America. He was taught by his father at home, and in 
Log College, at ISTeshaminy, receiving a good English and 
Classical education. He was a young man of unusually 
bright mind, made rapid progress in his studies, and 
became proficient in the Latin language, and the sciences 
as they were understood at that day. His religious expe- 
rience was very deep and thorough, and his conviction of 
sin and exposure to the Divine anger reduced him for a 
time almost to the borders of despair. But he at length 
found peace and joy from believing in Christ, and doubt- 
less united with the Neshaminy Church of which his 
father was Pastor. When he had completed his studies 
in the ancient languages and theology, he presented him- 
self before the Presbytery of Philadelphia, by whom he 
was examined and licensed to preach. Not long after this 
he visited the congregation in Freehold, 'New Jersey, 
which was then without a minister, and having supplied 
their pulpit several Sabbaths, was urgently invited to take 
the charge ,,of the church. He was remarkable for his 
modesty and humble estimate of his own talents and 
attainments, and did not at once come to the conclusion 
that he was fitted for that sphere of labor. But when the 
people assembled and gave him an unanimous call to be 



NESHAMINY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. 29 

their Pastor, he felt it to be his duty to go to them, and 
trust in the Great Head of the Church for a favorable 
result to his efforts. The call was made out April 15, 
1730, and he was ordained ISTovember 19, of the same year. 
But he was not allowed to labor in the ministry long on 
earth. Only a few days more than two years elapsed after 
he was called to the pastorate, before he was taken to his 
reward in Heaven. The insidious disease, consumption, 
fastened itself upon his frame, and no remedies availed to 
restore him to health. He gradually sank under the power 
of the malady, until the vital spark went out in death ; 
but he was patient, submissive, and hopeful during all his 
sickness. A few minutes before he expired, holding his 
brother William by the hand, he broke out into the fol- 
lowing rapturous expressions : " Farewell, my brethren ; 
farewell, father and mother; farewell, world, with all thy 
vain delights. Welcome, God and Father; welcome, 
sweet Lord Jesus; welcome, death; welcome, eternity; 
Amen I " Then with a low voice he said, " Lord Jesus, 
come. Lord Jesus ! " And so he fell asleep in Christ, and 
obtained an abundant entrance into the everlasting king- 
dom of his God and Saviour.* 

His death took place April 23, 1732, when he was a 
little more than twenty-four years and a half old, and he 
was buried in the grave-yard near the church in which 
he had faithfully preached. He was highly esteemed by 
his brethren in the ministry and by his own congrega- 
tion, as an earnest, powerful speaker. It is stated by his 
brother Gilbert, that " he was endowed by his Creator 
with a natural quickness of apprehension, copiousness ot 

* Log College, p. 106. 



30 HISTORY OF 

fancy, and fluency of expression, which served to qualify 
him eminently for the oflice of a preacher." If he had 
lived to middle age, practice and experience would no 
doubt have placed him high in the ranks of the clergy of 
the Presbyterian Church. 

Charles Tennent, the fourth son of Rev. Wm. Ten- 
nent, Sr., was born in Colerain, County of Down, Ire- 
land, May 3, 1711, and was baptized in infancy by Rev. 
Richard Donnell. He was five or six years old when he 
was brought by his parents to this country. He was 
taught in childhood and youth by his father at home and 
in Log College, being fifteen years old when that institu- 
tion was commenced. At what time he finished his pre- 
paratory studies, and was licensed to preach, we are not 
informed. But it is quite probable that he may have 
assisted his father for a time in the school, after he had 
gone through with the regular course himself. His name 
first appears among the members of the Synod of Phila- 
delphia, in its printed Records, in May, 1738, and it is 
stated that the Presbytery of 'New Castle reported that 
he had been ordained since the last meeting of Synod. 
He was ordained and installed at Whiteclay Creek, in 
Delaware, probably in 1737, and continued there, it 
seems, till 1762, as he is recognized as a member of the 
Presbytery of l^ew Castle until 1763, when he was trans- 
ferred to the Presbytery of Lewestown; and it was at 
that time, no doubt, that he removed to Buckingham 
Church, in Maryland, where he continued until about the 
period of his death, which took place in the last part of 
the year 1770, or the beginning of 1771, as at the meet- 
ing of Synod in May of the latter year, it was reported 



NESHAMTNY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. 31 

that he had died since the previous meeting of Synod. 
He was then in the 60th year of his age. Less distin- 
guished than his brothers as a preacher, he is said to have 
been a good man of moderate abilities. He held the 
same views in regard to the doctrines of the Grospel and 
the proper measures for spreading the kingdom of Christ 
which were maintained by the other members of his 
father's family ; and when the division in the Synod took 
place between the " Old Side " and " the New," he em- 
braced the latter. The Presbytery of N"ew Castle, of 
which he was for a long time a member, with the Pres- 
byteries of JSTew York and ISTew Brunswick, formed in 1745 
the Synod of ISTew York, which differed from the Synod 
of Philadelphia in some important points of doctrine and 
practice. The tvfo Synods were separate until 1758, 
when they united on the adoption of the "Westminster 
Confession of Faith and Catechisms, as a common stand- 
ard of belief. When Mr. Charles Tennent returned to 
his congregation at Whiteclay Creek, after the meeting 
in which the re-union was effected, Mrs. Douglass, sister 
of Charles Thompson, Secretary of the Continental Con- 
gress, who resided there, and who sympathized strongly 
with the " IS'ew Side," remonstrated with him for having 
consented to the measure. " Oh, Mr. Tennent ! " said 
she, " how could you consent to enter into communion 
with those who so wickedly reviled the glorious work of 
God's grace in this land ? As for myself, I never can and 
never will, until they profess repentance for their griev- 
ous sin in speaking contemptuously of the work of the 
Holy Spirit." 

She kept her word, soon leaving the Presbyterian 



32 HISTORY OF 

Church and uniting with the Seceders. She was one of 
the subjects of a powerful revival of religion that attended 
the labors of Mr. Whiteiield at Whiteclay Creek, soon 
after Mr. Tennent was settled there. The great evan- 
gelist spent some days at that place, during which a 
communion season occurred. It was customary then for 
meetings for preaching to be held four successive days, 
before and after the sacrament of the Lord's Supper, and 
large multitudes came together on that occasion to hear 
Mr. Whitefield. Many were awakened, and one of the 
most deep and wide-spread revivals ever known in that 
region was enjoyed. 

The same year in which Rev. Charles Tennent died, 
1770, his son, William Mackey Tennent, was licensed to 
preach by the Presbytery of Lewestown. This young man, 
grandson of Rev. William Tennent, Sr., was afterwards 
for many years Pastor of the Presbyterian Church in 
Abington, Montgomery Co., Pa., not far from Philadel- 
phia, and being endowed with a strong and active mind, 
and having acquired extensive learning, he received the 
degree of Doctor of Divinity from Yale College. He 
married Miss Susannah Rodgers, daughter of Rev. Dr. 
John Rodgers, of iTew York. Among his relatives in 
this part of the country were Gen. William T. Rogers,, 
of Doylestown, and Jacob H. Rogers, Esq., of Warring- 
ton. He died December 2, 1810, and left no children. 

The four sons of old Mr. Tennent — Gilbert, William, 
John, and Charles — were no doubt all members of [N'esh- 
aminy Church. N'o roll of communicants of so ancient 
date as the time of their manhood or youth exists, yet 
all of them, except Gilbert, probably became pious at. 



NESHAMTNY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. 33 

^N'eshaminj, and were in regular communion with their 
father's church. It is not often that a pastor is blessed 
in seeing so . many sons of his own connected with the 
spiritual flock under his charge, and laboring in the min- 
istry of reconciliation in after years, imbued with a 
similar spirit, and under the guidance of the same princi- 
ples. He must have had, by his piety, learning, and 
dignity of character, a powerful influence over them, and 
taken much pains to train to follow his steps. 



CHAPTER IV. 

ALUMNI OF LOG COLLEGE. 

It may be interesting to add to these notices of Mr. 
Tennent's sons, brief statements concerning other distin- 
guished men, who were educated at Log College, under 
his tuition, and who, though not all perhaps members of 
his church, were in the habit of attending every Sabbath, 
during their residence at iTeshaminy, upon the services of 
the sanctuary there. 

Among them was Rev. Samuel Blair. He was born in 
Ireland, June 14, 1712, and came to this country when a 
youth, and was one of the earlier pupils of Mr. Tennent 
at Log College, being under his care apparently between 
1730 and 1735. In the latter year the Presbytery of East 



34 HISTORY OF 

Jersey reported to the Synod, that they had ordained 
since the last meeting Mr. Samuel Blair, and that he had 
subscribed to the Westminster Confession of Faith and 
Catechisms according to " the Adopting Act " previously 
enjoined by the Synod upon all candidates for ordination 
or admission from foreign bodies into any of the Presby- 
teries. He was settled at that time, the last part of 1734 
or the beginning of 1735 at Shrewsbury, IST. J. He 
remained there till E'ovember, 1739, when he was earnest- 
ly invited to assume the charge of the church in l!^ew 
Londonderry, Pa. Regarding it as his duty to accept 
this call, he was formally installed over that people in 
April, 1740. Almost immediately after his settlement 
here this congregation was blessed with a powerful 
revival of religion, in which a large number were 
awakened and hopefully converted, and the frivolity and 
carelessness about divine things, which had characterized 
the place before, gave way to solemnity and deep thought 
upon the concerns of eternity. He was the first pastor 
settled there, though the church was established about the 
year 1730, ten years before his coming among them. In 
regard to this remarkable work of grace in 1740 he says 
in a letter he wrote to Rev. Mr. Prince of Boston, and 
which was published in the " Christian History : " 

" Our Sabbath Assemblies soon became vastly large ;. 
many people from almost all parts around inclining very 
much to come, where there was such appearance of the 
divine power and presence. 1 think there was scarcely a 
sermon or lecture preached here through that whole sum- 
mer, but there were manifest evidences of impressions on 
the hearers ; and many times the impressions were very 



NESHAMINY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. 35 

great and general ; several would be overcome and faint- 
ing ; others deeply sobbing, hardly able to contain ; others 
crying in a most dolorous manner ; many others more 
silently weeping ; and a solemn concern appearing in the 
countenances of many others. And sometimes the soul- 
exercises of some (though comparatively but very few), 
would so far affect their bodies as to occasion some 
strange, unusual bodily motions." No mention is made 
of Mr. Whiteiield having been in this congregation, and 
the labors in this spiritual harvest were performed by Mr. 
Blair and other neigh Doring Pastors of like spirit. 

In 'New Londonderry, or Fagg's Manor, as it is often 
called, Mr. Samuel Blair established a school for the 
education of young men for the ministry, similar to that 
which Mr. Tennent founded at Keshaminy ; and in it 
were trained some men who rose to eminence in the 
Presbyterian Church. " Among these were the E-ev. 
Samuel Davies, the Rev. Alexander Cummings, the Rev. 
John Rodgers, D. D., the Rev. James Finley, and the 
Rev. Hugh Henry." * 

In the Life of Dr. John Rodgers, by Dr. Miller, it is 
said that " he (Rodgers) was sent to an academy of high 
reputation at Fagg's Manor, Chester County, Pa., under the 
care of the Rev. Mr. Samuel Blair, who was one of the 
most respectable scholars and divines of his day. He 
(Mr. Blair) was considered not only as one of the most 
learned and able, but also as one of the most pious 
and excellent men that ever adorned the American 
Church." Dr. Samuel Miller relates, that Dr. Rodgers 



* History of Log College, p. 172. 



S6 HISTORY OF 

told him, that " When the Rev. Samuel Davies re- 
turned from Europe, his friends were curious to learn 
his opinion of the celebrated preachers whom he had 
heard in England and Scotland. After dealing out lib- 
eral commendations on such as he had most admired, he 
concluded by saying, that he had heard no one who, in 
Ms judgment, was superior to his former teacher, Rev. 
Samuel Elair." The school which Mr. Blair established 
at Fagg's Manor, like the Log College at Neshaminy, 
was of a high order, and the pupils were trained in it to 
great familiarity with the ancient languages, and the 
doctrines of the Christian faith. They became thorough 
scholars and sound divines. They had fewer books than 
students have at the present day, but those they had 
were mastered. In reading and study they carried out 
the sentiment of the proverb, " Multum, non multa." 
Many of them, though not educated at what we should 
denominate a " College," there being no institutions of 
exactly that kind within the bounds of the Presbyterian 
Church at that period, yet possessed extensive learning 
and commanding eloquence. Rev. Samuel Davies, who 
was educated at Mr. Blair's school, was licensed to preach 
in 1745, soon after which he travelled in Virginia, where 
he became Pastor of a church, and was highly esteemed 
and successful. " In 1763 he was chosen by the Synod 
■of 'New York, at the solicitation of the Trustees of the 
College of New Jersey, to accompany the Rev. Gilbert 
Tennent on a mission to Great Britain and Ireland, to 
solicit benefactions for that College. In 1759 he was 
elected to succeed Jonathan Edwards in the Presidency 
of the same Institution. In this station he remained but 



NESHAMINY PRESBYTERIAlSr CHUECH. 37 

eighteen months, being removed by death in January, 
1761, in the thirty-seventh year of his age. The genius, 
taste, learning, and eminent piety of President Davies 
are widely known." * This eminent man retained the 
highest respect and reverence for his early preceptor, 
Mr. Blair, to the day of his death, and when he heard of 
the decease of one whom he so highly valued, he com- 
posed an elegy of considerable length to his memory; from 
which may be quoted the following lines : 

" Blair is no more ; — then this poor world has lost 
As rich a jewel as her stores could boast ; 
Heaven in just vengeance has recalled again 
Its faithful envoy from the sons of men ; 
Advanced him from his pious toils below, 
In raptures there, in kindred plains to glow. 
Surviving remnant of the sacred tribe, 
Who knew the worth these plaintive lays describe ; 
Tennents, three worthies of immortal fame, 
Brethren by office, birth, in heart, and name ; 
Finley, who full enjoyed the unbosomed friend, 
Rodgers, whose soul he like his own refined, 
When all attention, eager to admit 
The flowing knowledge, at his reverend feet 
Raptured we sat ; and thou above the rest, 
I Brother and image of the dear deceased. 
Surviving Blair, Oh ! let spontaneous flow, 
The floods of tributary grief you oAve. 

Now in the sacred desk I see him rise. 
And well he acts the herald of the skies. 



* Miller's Life of Dr. Rodgers. 
I Rev. John Blair. 



38 HISTORY OF 

Graceful solemnity and striking awe 
Sit in his looks, and deep attention draw. 
Unthinking crowds grow solemn as they gaze 
And read his awful message in his face." 

Mr. Samuel Blair died and was buried at Londonderry, 
when he was a little more than than thirty-nine years of 
age. Though he did not live to be old, yet he made a 
deep and salutary impression upon his own and succeed- 
ing generations, and gained a wide reputation for excel- 
lence of character, learning, and eloquence. The following 
inscription is found upon the monument at his grave : 

HERE LYETH THE BODY OF 

The Eev. SAMUEL BLAIE, 

who departed this life 
The 5th Day of July, 1751, 

AGED 39 years and 21 DAYS. 

In yonder sacred house I spent my breath, 
Now silent, mouldering, here I lie in death ; 
These lips shall wake again, and yet declare 
A dread amen to truths they published here. 

Rev. John Blair, a younger brother of Samuel Blair, 
was also a pupil at Log College. He was born (in Ire- 
land probably, like his brother), in the year 1720, and 
came to America when quite young. At what time he 
was licensed and ordained is not definitely known, but 
he was a member of the Synod of Kew York at its first 
meeting in 1745, being then 26 years of age. He is said 
to have been ordained as early as 1742 over three congre- 
tions in Cumberland Co., Pa., one of which was Big 
Spring, now Newville. After being there twelve or 



NESHAMINY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. 39 

fourteen years, his home was rendered unsafe by the hos- 
tilities of the savages, who in the French and Indian war 
were aroused against the frontier settlements that were 
exposed to their attacks. He was compelled on that 
account to retire from this field of labor, but in 1757 he 
received and accepted a call to the church at Fagg's 
Manor, which had become vacant by the death of his 
brother Samuel. While there he superintended the 
school which had been under the care of his predecessor, 
and prepared many young men for the ministry by in- 
structing them in the languages, philosophy, and theology. 
He remained in that congregation about nine years, and 
when Dr. Finley, President of Princeton College, died, he 
was chosen Professor of Divinity. He regarded this as 
a summons by the Head of the Church to a wider field of 
usefulness, of a similar character to that in which he had 
lately been employed, and entered upon it with zeal and 
energy. He was also chosen Yice-President of the Insti- 
tution, and discharged all the duties of President until 
the arrival of Dr. Witherspoon, the President-elect. But 
as the endowment of l!^assau Hall was at that time very 
limited, and insuflicient to support a Professor of The- 
ology distinct from the President, and as Dr. Witherspoon 
was an eminent divine, and abundantly qualified to meet 
the responsibilities of both offices, Mr. Blair resigned, and 
accepted an invitation to be Pastor at Wallkill, Orange 
Co., N. Y. Here he remained about three years, when he 
was called away from the labors of earth by death, De- 
cember 8, 1771, in the 52d year of his age. He was a 
s^und and learned theologian, and though less eloquent 
in the pulpit than his brother Samuel, yet he was an 



40 HISTORY OF 

able and convincing preacher, and the instrument of the 
conversion of many souls. He made high attainments in 
scholarship, and at the same time labored much in the 
pulpit, for the most part using, not a fully written manu- 
script, but brief notes. His end was peaceful, and he 
calmly contemplated death when near at hand, uttering 
counsels for his congregation and friends. A few days 
before his death he exclaimed : " Directly I am going to 
glory ; my Master calls me, I must be gone." 

It is stated in the History of Log College, that " Mr. 
John Blair left behind him a treatise on Regeneration, 
which is ably written and entirely orthodox. He also 
published a treatise on the Scriptural terms of admission 
to the Lord's Supper, in which he maintains that minis- 
ters and church officers have no more authority to debar 
from the Lord's table those who desire to attend, than 
from any other duty of God's worship. This piece the 
late Rev. J. P. Wilson, D. D., Pastor of the First Pres- 
byterian Church of Philadelphia, had republished in a 
small selection of treatises on the Lord's Supper, from 
which it may be inferred that he approved the sentiments 
which it contains." 

The following is the inscription on his tomb-stone: 

HERE LIE INTERRED 
THE REMAINS OF THE 

Eev. Mr. JOHN BLAIR, A. M., 

who departed this life 

December 6, 1771, 

IN THE 52d year 

OF HIS age. 

He was a gentleman of a masterly genius. A good scholar, 



NESHAMINY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. 41' 

an excellent divine. A very judicious, instructive, and 
solemn preacher. A laborious and successful minister of 
Christ. An eminent Christian. A man of great prudence, 
and a bright example of every social virtue. He was some 
time Vice-President of Nassau Hall, and Professor of Di- 
vinity in the College of New Jersey ; which places he filled 
with fidelity and reputation. He lived greatly beloved, and 
died universally lamented. 

Rev. Samuel Finley was born in the County of Ar- 
magh, in the northern part of Ireland, in 1715. His 
parents were of Scotch descent, and devotedly pious 
members of the Presbyterian Church. He was carefully 
trained in the knowledge of his duty to God, and appears 
to have been wrought upon by the Holy Spirit at a very 
early age. When only six years old he heard a sermon 
which made a deep impression on his mind, and the text 
of which he remembered as long as he lived. From that 
time he determined, if possible, to be a minister of the 
Gospel. When about nineteen years old he emigrated to 
America, and landed on our shores September 28, 1734. 
This was' the period at which Log College was in a very 
flourishing condition, and it is in the highest degree proba- 
ble that Mr. Finley placed himself under the instruction of 
Mr. Tennent, at i^eshaminy ; as he ardently desired to be 
prepared to preach Christ to his fellow men, and there 
was no other institution at that time within the bounds 
of the Presbyterian Church where he could receive the 
necessary education. He also presented himself to the 
Presbytery of New Brunswick, to be taken under their 
care, and most of the members of this body were trained 
at Mr. Tennent's school. Though we have no record of 



42 HISTORY OF 

the place where Mr. Finley was taught in theology, yet 
the above circumstances point very decidedly to that 
institution. He was licensed after proper examination 
August 5, 1740, and at once hegan to proclaim the doc- 
trines of the Cross. The " great awakening " was then in 
progress in the land, and there was much interest on the 
subject of religion in a large number of churches. As 
he was zealous and anxious to be the instrument in doing 
good, and endowed with unusual ability as a public 
speaker, he was sought for to assist pastors in the special 
labors required in many congregations. He was particu- 
larly blessed in the Western and Southern portions of 
'New Jersey, — in Deerfield, G-reenwich, and Cape May. 
He was Stated Supply also, and highly esteemed in the 
Second Presbyterian Church of Philadelphia, to which 
Rev. Gilbert Tennent was afterwards called, and which 
was largely composed of those who were hopefully con- 
verted under the preaching of Mr. Whiteiield, inthat city. 
He was ordained to the full exercise of the ministry, 
probably as an evangelist, October 13, 1742. He was not 
pastor of any church immediately, but continued for 
nearly two years to preach, as his services were needed, in 
vacant churches and places destitute of the ordinary 
means of grace, with abundant success. In 1744 the peo- 
ple of Nottingham, Maryland, desired him to become 
their minister, and he was settled there in June of that 
year. Here he established a school for the training of 
pious young men for the ministry, similar to that which 
had been at l!^eshaminy, but which was possibly closed 
before this time on account of old Mr. Tennent's infirmi- 
ties,^ and like the institution at Fagg's Manor. In this 



NESEAMINY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. 



43 



Seminary a large number of youths were prepared for the 
sacred office, several of whom secured high distinction 
and w«re greatly useful ; and others, who did not enter 
the ministry, reached eminence in other professions ; 
among them were "Governor Martin, of ISTorth Carolina; 
Dr. Benjamin Rush, of Philadelphia; and his brother, 
Jacob Rush, an eminent and pious judge ; Ebenezar Haz- 
ard, Esq., of Philadelphia; Rev. James Waddel, D. D., of 
Virginia ; Rev. Dr. McWhorter, of N'ewark, K. J.; Col. 
John Bayard, Speaker of the House of Representatives ; 
Governor Henry, of Maryland ; and Rev. Wm. M. Ten- 
nent, D. D., of Abington, Pa." 

All these with others appear to have been in Mr. Fin- 
ley's school at one time, and it receives high honor from 
their subsequent lives. It was no doubt an institution of 
a high order, formed much after the pattern of Log 
College. 

After being seventeen years in Nottingham, diligently 
engaged in giving instruction in the ancient languages, 
philosophy and theology, and in the work of the ministry, 
and having proved himself fully qualified to superintend 
a literary institution. of a high order, and gained a repu- 
tation for power in the pulpit, he was chosen to succeed 
Mr. Davies in the Presidency of l^assau Hall, at Prince- 
ton. He entered upon the office in 1761, and was spared 
to discharge its duties five years, a period longer than 
that of either Dickinson, Burr, Edwards, or Davies, all of 
whom had been his immediate predecessors within six 
years. While connected with the College of N'ew Jersey 
he became favorably known in Great Britain for talents, 
learning, and piety, and the degree of Doctor of Divinity 



44 HISTORY OF 

was conferred upon him by the University of Glasgow, 
which was at that time an unprecedented honor for any 
American. He had the interests of the College over 
which he presided, deeply at heart, and formed wise plans 
for its prosperity and advancement. Probably his ardu- 
ous labors ajffected his health ; for he was attacked when 
in the midst of them by a disease of the liver, which soon 
resulted in his death. He went to Philadelphia to con- 
sult a physician, but grew rapidly worse, and was at 
length told that he could not recover. He was not 
alarmed nor disturbed by the intelligence, but expressed 
the most perfect resignation to the divine will. He said, 
" If my work is done, I am ready ; I do not desire to live 
a day longer than I can work for God." When informed 
by a physician that he had not many days to live, lifting 
his eyes to Heaven, he exclaimed, " Then, welcome. Lord 
Jesus ! " He uttered many counsels and messages for his 
friends and the people of Princeton, and many expressions 
of confidence in God, and hope, that he was going to a 
world of rest and glory. A few hours before his de- 
parture he dropped asleep, and continued to slumber until 
his spirit took its flight. This occurred July 16, 1766, 
when he was in his fifty-first year. In consequence of the 
heat of the weather his body could not be conveyed to 
Princeton for burial, but was deposited by the side of his 
friend, Rev. Gilbert Tennent, in the Second Presbyterian 
Church of Philadelphia ; and subsequently upon the en- 
largement of this church, they were both buried in the 
grave-yard of the congregation, and ultimately at Abing- 
ton. A cenotaph was erected by the Trustees of the 
College of ITew Jersey to his memory, in the cemetery at 



NESHAMINT PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. 45 

Princeton, in a line with the monuments over the remains 
of the other distinguished Presidents of the College. Dr. 
Miller says of him : " Dr. Pinley was a man of sound and 
vigorous mind, of extensive learning, and of unusually fer- 
vent piety. He had the ministry in view from the sixth 
year of his age, and always adorned the sacred office. 
Seldom has a life been more exemplary or more useful ; 
and seldom, very seldom, has a death been more joyful 
and triumphant than his."* 

Rev. Wm. Robinson was another of the pupils of Mr. 
Tennent at Log College, as we have the uncontradicted 
testimony of tradition for believing, which is somewhat 
corroborated by the fact, that the people of Neshamiuy, in 
1742, when Mr. Tennent became infirm, invited him to be 
their pastor, which invitation, however, he did not see his 
way clear to accept. In the life of Dr. Rodgers it is 
stated, that— 

" Mr. Robinson was the son of a wealthy Quaker, in 
England. Being permitted to pay a visit of a few weeks 
to an aunt in the the City of London, from whom he had 
considerable expectations, he greatly overstaid the time 
which had been allowed him ; and becoming deeply in- 
volved in the dissipations of the town, he incurred large 
debts, which he knew his father would never pay, and 
which his aunt refused to discharge. In this situation 
fearing to return home, and unable to remain longer in 
London, he determined to quit his native country, and 
seek his fortune in America. In this determination his 
aunt reluctantly acquiesced, and furnished him with a 
small sum of money for the purpose. Soon after his 

* Life of Dr. Rodgers, p. 57. 



46 HISTORY OF 

arrival in America, he had recourse for subsistence ta 
teaching a school in l^ew Jersey, within the bounds of 
the Presbytery of l^ew Brunswick. He had been for 
some time engaged in this business, without any practical 
sense of religion, when it pleased God to bring him to a 
knowledge of himself and of the way of salvation, in a 
remarkable manner. He was riding at a late hour one 
evening, when the moon and stars shone with unusual 
brightness, and when everything around him was calcu- 
lated to excite reflection. While he was meditating: on the 
beauty and grandeur of the scene which the firmament 
presented, and was saying to himself, 'How transcend- 
ently glorious must be the Author of all this beauty and 
grandeur !' the thought struck him with the suddenness 
and the force of lightning, 'But what do I know of this 
God? Have I ever sought his favor or made him my 
friend ? ' This happy impression, which proved, by its 
permanency and its effects, to have come from the best of 
all sources, never left him until he took refuge in Christ 
as the hope and life of his soul. He soon resolved to de- 
vote himself to the work of the gospel ministry ; com- 
pleted his academical education and studied theology ; 
and was in due time licensed and ordained by the Presby- 
tery of ]^ew Brunswick." He appears to have been or- 
dained as an evangelist, with a view to his going among 
the scattered congregations of Presbyterians, and others 
who were not associated with any religious denomination, 
in remote districts. Accordingly he soon turned his steps 
to the settlements along the valleys in the mountains of 
central Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Virginia. In the 
latter State there was a law at that time forbidding; 



NESHAMINY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. 4T 

itinerant preachers to pass through the country, hut Mr. 
Rohinson either did not think of it or disregarded it, and 
had reached Winchester, preaching the Gospel as opportu- 
nity was afforded, when he was arrested for violating the 
statute, and an order was made out hy a magistrate send- 
ino" him to the seat of Government, at Williamsburg, for 
trial and punishment. But the Sheriff', in whose care he 
was placed, after taking him some distance on the way, 
and finding him apparently an honest, sensible, well- 
meaning man, thought it would be foolish to take him so 
far for such a purpose, and released him. He continued 
his tour through the valley, stopping at various small set- 
tlements, where he found those who were willing to hear 
the word of life, until he reached the James river. He 
visited what was then called " the Forks," now Lexing- 
ton; and proceeding south-east, went to Lunenburg, which 
is now Charlotte, and found there a considerable colony of 
Presbyterians, Pursuing his route still southward he 
entered ITorth Carolina, seeking clusters of Presbyterians 
who had migrated thither, and who were destitute of the 
stated means of ^race. In almost all places where he 
tarried and proclaimed the truth, the Spirit of God at- 
tended his labors. Christians were quickened and revived, 
and sinners were converted. I^ot a few instances occurred, 
in which, through his instrumentality, hardened trans- 
gressors who had never shown interest in their immortal 
welfare, but lived in constant disregard of the divine 
commands, were subdued, convicted of their guilt and 
dano-er, and led to submit to the control of the Redeemer. 
An unusual awakening on the subject of religion existed 
at that period in the County of Hanover, Virginia ; and 



48 HISTORY OF 

when Mr. Robinson returned from llTortli Carolina, two 
messengers were sent from Hanover to induce him to go 
there and assist in that work of grace. They were 
obliged to travel a hundred miles or more over a rugged, 
mountainous country, before they overtook him. Upon 
their representation of the state of feeling among the 
people from whom they came, he was persuaded it was 
the Lord's will that he should accede to their request ; 
and that he might get to their home before the next Sab- 
bath, he was compelled to ride one whole night. When 
he arrived, the principal men of the congregation feared 
that he might not preach the distinguishing doctrines of 
grace, as they had learned them from various evangelical 
works, with which they were familiar, and which they 
were in the habit of reading aloud in their meetings ; for 
they had not as yet enjoyed the services of a regular 
pastor. They therefore examined him in private, before 
they would allow him to preach, as to his views, and 
whether he approved such works as Boston's Fourfold 
State, Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress, Luther on the Gala- 
tians, and Alleine's Alarm. When tlfey discovered that 
his doctrinal sentiments were founded on the Gospel of 
Christ, as they had received it, they joyfully welcomed 
him to their place of worship and their hearts. He con- 
tinued with them four days, preaching daily. The attend- 
ance was good at first, but greatly increased on the suc- 
cessive days, and there were many manifestations of deep 
feeling, of joy and gratitude for the precious words of 
life on the part of God's people, and of conviction for sin, 
and alarm among sinners. Mr. Samuel Morris, whose 
words are quoted in a letter of Rev. Samuel Davies to Dr. 



NESHAMINY PKESBYTERIAN CHURCH. 49 

Bellamy, of Connecticut, says, "There is reason to be- 
lieve there was as much good done by these four sermons 
as by all the sermons preached in these parts before or 
since. Before Mr. Robinson left us, he successfully en- 
deavored to correct some of our mistakes, and to bring us 
to carry on the worship of God more regularly at our 
meetings. After this we met to read good sermons, and 
began and concluded with prayer and singing of Psalms, 
which till then we had omitted." They had been accus- 
tomed in former years to the prayers of the Liturgy ot 
the Church of England, which was the established Church 
of the Colony of Virginia, and had supposed that all 
praying should be done by the minister from the prayer- 
book, and this, added to a natural diffidence, had pre- 
vented them in the absence of a pastor from having 
prayer at their assemblages. Mr. Morris continues, " The 
blessing of God remarkably attended these more private 
means, and it was really astonishing to observe the solemn 
impressions begun or continued in many by hearing good 
discourses read." Meetings of a similar kind for prayer, 
singing, and reading were commenced in other places, as 
the result of the success here, and the germs of other 
congregations were formed while yet there were no 
Presbyterian ministers in that region. Rev. Samuel 
Davies, in a subsequent part of the letter above referred 
to, says, " "While these congregations have been destitute 
of settled pastors, itinerant preaching among them has, 
by the blessing of God, been very useful. Mr. Robinson 
underwent great hardships in North Carolina, without 
much success, by reason of the fewness and savage igno- 
rance of the inhabitants ; but the case is now happily 



50 HISTORY OF 

altered. He was the instrument of awakening several in 
Lunenburgh and Amelia, with whom I lately spent a fort- 
night at their earnest desire ; and there is a prospect of 
doing much service, were they furnished with a faithful 
minister. In Kent County and Queen Anne's, a number 
of careless sinners have been awakened and hopefully 
brought to Christ. The work was begun and chiefly car- 
ried on by the instrumentality of that favored man, Mr. 
Robinson, whose success, whenever I reflect upon it, 
astonishes me. Oh ! he did much in a little time, and 
who would not choose such an expeditious pilgrimage 
through this world? The most glorious display of 
divine grace in JSlaryland has been in and about Somerset 
County. It began, I think, in 1745, by the ministry of 
Mr. Robinson, and was afterwards carried on by several 
ministers, that preached transiently there." 

This most laborious and successful servant of Christ 
preached in the State of 'New York with the same evi- 
dences of the divine favor as in the States further South ; 
but the closing labors of his life seem to have been in 
St. George's, Delaware,* where he was, as is thought most 
probable, in 1745 ; and in the Minutes of the Synod of 
New York, October 9, 1746, it is reported, that " Our 
Reverend brother, Mr. William Robinson, is departed 
this life since our last meeting." In the Life of Dr. 

*In the Life of Dr. Rodgers, in a letter written by Rev. Mr. Latta, 
of New Castle, Delaware, it is said, "A revival of religion had 
taken place in the congregation through the instrumentality of the 
preaching of the Rev. Mr. Robinson, and the celebrated Whitefield. 
Mr. Robinson was their first pastor, and the immediate predecessor 
of Dr. Rodgers." 



NESHAMINY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCU. 51 

Rodgers it is said, that "he died at St. George's, in Dela- 
ware, in the month of April, 1746 ; and that few names 
in the American Church rank higher than his in the scale 
of usefulness." Dr. Alexander says, "If we mistake not, 
Mr. Davies has celebrated the labors and successes of this 
servant of God in one of his poems, and Mr. Tennent 
somewhere speaks of him as " that wonderful man." Mr. 
Robinson was never married and had, it is believed, no 
relatives in this country, and as far as appears never 
printed anything, nor left any of his writings to be a 
memorial to posterity of his fervent piety and evangeli- 
cal spirit." 

His ministerial career was brief He was not a member 
of I^ew Brunswick Presbytery in 1741, for his name is not 
in the list of members that year. In 1743 he was labor- 
ing in Virginia, but had received a call, which he con- 
cluded not to accept, to N^eshaminy, in 1742 ; and his 
ordination as an evangelist took place about that time. 
He was in the discharge of the duties of the sacred office 
only about four years ; but he accomplished much for his 
Lord and Master in that short space, and was the instru- 
ment of winning many to righteousness. He was, no 
doubt, a young man, when he died, but he had been 
greatly blessed in his efforts to build up the Redeemer's 
kingdom, and has left a reputation for piety, zeal, elo- 
quence, and power over the hearts and consciences of men 
which few ever acquire. 



52 HISTORY OF 



CHAPTER Y. 



ALUMNT OF LOG COLLEGE. 



Rev. John Rowland was another pupil of Log College, 
where he is supposed to have received most of his educa- 
tion preparatory to the ministry. Nothing can be now 
ascertained in regard to his birth, parentage, or early 
years. Among the first items of business transacted by 
the Presbytery of New Brunswick, at its first meeting, 
was taking Mr. Rowland under their care with a view to 
his licensure. This was contrary to a Rule, which the 
Synod had adopted, that no person should be put on trial 
with reference to being licensed to preach, until he had 
been examined upon his knowledge of the sciences and 
ancient languages by a commission of the Synod. This 
regulation was no doubt made by the majority in the 
Synod, partly, that they might throw obstacles in the way 
of the Alumni of Log College, when they desired to ob- 
tain permission from Presbyteries to go forth and preach. 
The New Brunswick Presbytery determined to pay no 
attention to a Rule which they deemed arbitrary, unjust, 
and particularly aimed at themselves, and Mr. Rowland 
was received under their care, assigned subjects, on which 
to prepare an Exegesis in Latin, and a Popular Lecture ; 
he was examined on his religious experience, his knowl- 
edge of theology, the arts and languages, and required to 
signify his acceptance of the doctrines of the Westminster 



NESHAMINY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. 53 

Confession of Faith and Catechisn^s. After meeting the 
Presbytery three times in the course of a month for full 
examination, and the presentation before it of the neces- 
sary theses and discourses, which met their entire satis- 
faction, he was licensed on the 7th of September, 1738 ; 
and the same day received a call from two congregations 
in l^ew Jersey, Maidenhead, now Lawrence, and Hope- 
well, now Pennington, which were to be united in one 
charge. He acceded to their request and went among 
them in the exercise of his duties as a licensed candidate 
for the ministry. These churches were connected with 
the Presbytery of Philadelphia, which was in favor of 
the regulation adopted by the Synod. This Presbytery 
immediately had a special meeting, and unanimously 
voted, that " they could not accept of Mr. Rowland as an 
orderly licensed preacher, nor approve of his preaching in 
any of the vacancies within their bounds." JSTotwith- 
standing this he continued to preach at the places above 
mentioned during the winter. In May, 1739, the next 
Spring, the Synod declared that, "they judged the pro- 
ceedings of the Presbytery of !N^ew Brunswick " in 
licensing Mr. Rowland '' to be very disorderly, and do 
admonish the said Presbytery to avoid such divisive 
courses for the future ; and do determine not to admit the 
fiaid Mr. Rowland to be a preacher of the Gospel within 
our bounds, nor encourage any of our people to accept 
him, until he submit to such examinations as were ap- 
pointed by this Synod for those that have had a private 
education." The Synod also severely censured the two 
congregations above mentioned for employing Mr. Row- 
land contrary to the remonstrances of the Presbytery of 



54 - HISTORY OF 

Philadelphia. In the Life of Dr. Rodgers, it is stated, 
that in spite of the resolutions of Synod and Presbytery, 
Mr. William Tennent, the Elder, introduced Mr. Row- 
land into his pulpit at ]^eshaminy, and " when some of 
his congregation complained of this act to the Presbytery 
of Philadelphia, Mr. Tennent justified his conduct, dis- 
claimed the authority of the Presbytery in the case, and 
' contemptuously withdrew.' The Presbytery censured 
his conduct as ' irregular and disorderly.' This took 
place in September, 1739. In the month of October fol- 
lowing, the Presbytery of E"ew Brunswick ordained Mr. 
Rowland, and he continued a member of that Presbytery 
until the month of E"ovember, 1742, when he was dis- 
missed to join the Presbytery of JSTew Castle." 

Soon after Mr. Rowland was ordained, he accompanied 
Mr. William Tennent, Jr., in a tour to Maryland, where 
they were engaged preaching in congregations that were 
blessed with the special presence of the Spirit of God. 
During this time a circumstance occurred, which can be 
introduced here in no better manner than in the words of 
Dr. Bowditch, as found in his sketch of Mr. Tennent's 
life.^ 

" The time of which we are now speaking, was remark- 
able for a great revival of religion, in which Mr. Tennent 
was considerably instrumental, and to which a Mr. John 
Rowland, brought up with Mr. Tennent at the Log Col- 
lege, was also very remarkable for his successful preach- 
ing among all ranks of people. Possessing a command- 
ing eloquence, as well as other estimable qualities, he be- 
came very popular, and was much celebrated throughout 

* Hist, of Log College, p. 127. 



NESHAMINY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. 55 

the country. His celebrity and success were subjects of 
very serious regret to many careless worldlings, who 
placed all their happiness in the enjoyment of temporal 
objects, and considered and represented Mr. Rowland and 
his brethren as fanatics and hypocrites. This was spe- 
cially applicable to many of the great men of the then 
Province of ISTew Jersey, and particularly of the Chief 
Justice, who was well known for his disbelief in revela- 
tion. There was at this time, prowling through the 
country, a noted man by the name of Tom Bell, whose 
knowledge and understanding were very considerable, 
and who greatly excelled in low art and cunning. His 
mind was totally debased, and his whole conduct betrayed 
a soul capable of descending to every species of iniquity. 
In all the arts of theft, robbery, fraud, deception, and 
defamation, he was so deeply skilled, that it is believed he 
never had his equal in this country. He had been in- 
dicted in almost every one of the middle Colonies, but 
his ingenuity and cunning always enabled him to escape 
punishment. This man unhappily resembled Mr. Row- 
land in his external appearance, so as hardly to be known 
from him without the most careful examination. 

" It so happened that Tom Bell arrived one evening at a 
tavern in Princeton, dressed in a dark, parson's gray 
frock. On his entering the tavern about dusk, the late 
John Stockton, Esq., of that town, a pious and respectable 
man, to whom Mr. Rowland was well known, went up to 
Bell, and addressed him as Mr. Rowland, and was invit- 
ing him to go home with him. Bell assured him of his 
mistake. It was with some difficulty that Mr. Stockton 
acknowledged his error, and then informed Bell that it 



56 



HISTORY OF 



had arisen from his great resemblance to Mr. Rowland. 
This hint was sufficient for the prolific genius of that 
notorious impostor. The next day Bell went into the 
County of Hunterdon, and stopped in a congregation 
where Mr. Rowland had formerly preached once or twice, 
but where he was not intimately known. Here he met 
with a member of the congregation, to whom he intro- 
duced himself as the Rev. Mr. Rowland, who had 
preached to them some time before. This gentleman im- 
mediately invited him to his house to spend the week ; 
and begged him, as the people were without a minister, 
to preach for them the next Sabbath, to which Bell 
agreed, and notice was accordingly given to the neigh- 
borhood. The impostor was treated with every mark of 
attention and respect ; and a private room was assigned 
to him as a study, to prepare for the Sabbath. The 
sacred day arrived, and he was invited to ride to church 
with the ladies in the family wagon, and the master of 
the house accompanied them on an elegant horse. When 
they had arrived near the church. Bell, on a sudden, dis- 
covered that he had left his notes in his study, and pro- 
posed to ride back for them on the fine horse, by which 
means he should be able to return in time for the service. 
This proposal was instantly agreed to, and Bell mounted 
the horse, returned to the house, rifled the desk of his 
host, and made off with the horse. Wherever he stopped 
he called himself the Rev. John Rowland. 

"At the time this event took place, Messrs. Tennent and 
Rowland had gone into Pennsylvania or Maryland, with 
Mr. Joshua Anderson and Mr. Benjamin Stevens, both 
members of a church contiguous to that where Bell had 



NESHAMTNY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. 57 

practised his fraud, on business of a religious nature. 
Soon after their return Mr. Rowland was charged with 
the above robbery ; he gave bonds to appear at the court 
at Trenton, and the alFair made a great noise throughout 
the Colony. At the court of Oyer and Terminer the 
judge charged the grand jury with great severity. After 
long consideration the jury returned into court without 
finding a bill. The judge reproved them in an angry 
manner, and ordered them out again. They again re- 
turned without finding a bill, and were again sent out 
with threatening of severe punishment, if they persisted 
in their refusal. At last they agreed and brought in a 
bill for the alleged crime. On the trial, Messrs. Tennent, 
Anderson, and Stevens, appeared as witnesses, and fully 
proved an alibi in favor of Mr. Rowland, by swearing 
that on the very day on which the robbery was com- 
mitted they were with Mr. Rowland, and heard him 
preach in Pennsylvania or Maryland. The jury accord- 
ingly acquitted him without hesitation, to the great dis- 
appointment and mortification of his prosecutors, and of 
many other enemies to the great revival of religion that 
had recently taken place ; but to the great joy of the 
serious and well disposed." 

But the opposers of the truth were not prevented by 
this defeat from making efforts to bring discredit upon 
evangelical religion. They determined to prosecute 
Messrs. Tennent, Anderson, and Stevens, for wilful and 
base perjury, in testifying- to Mr. Rowland's absence, 
when, as they affirmed, he must have committed the 
crime with which he was charged. The owner of the 
horse averred that Mr, Rowland stole the animal ; and 



58 HISTORY OF 

several others were willing to swear that they had seen 
* it in his possession. A mass of testimony was gathered, 
which made them believe, that those good men could be 
brought in guilty of the heinous offence of falsehood 
under oath. They were summoned before the court to 
answer to the charge, and the testimony was so positive 
against them, that Mr. Anderson, who was tried at his 
own request sooner than the others in the Oyer and 
Terminer, was found guilty, and condemned to stand one 
hour on the court-house steps, with a placard on his 
breast, on which was written in large letters, " This is for 
wilful and corrupt perjury." Mr. Tennent, conscious of 
his innocence, took no steps to escape trial, nor to avert 
condemnation. He knew not to whom to apply for evi- 
dence in his favor, and he was confident that the Lord, 
whom he endeavored to serve, would not allow him to 
suffer the penalty of a shameful crime which he had not 
committed, and which his soul abhorred. The morning 
on which the trial was to take place came. Still Mr. 
Tennent had no witnesses to appear in his behalf. When, 
as he was walking in the street, he was approached by a 
man and woman, who asked him if he was not Mr. Ten- 
nent. He said he was, and wished to know what their 
business with him might be. They replied, that he prob- 
ably would know better than themselves ; that they 
lived in the Southern part of Pennsylvania or Maryland, 
and had heard him preach there at such a time ; and that 
a few nights before they left home, thej had had a dream, 
each of them, more than once, to the effect, that he was 
in Trenton in great distress, and that it was in their 
power and their's only to relieve him. They had come 



NESHAMINY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. 59 

therefore, and wished to know what they could do for 
him. He took them to his lawyer, who had volunteered 
to act for his defence, and on examination it was found, 
that they could testify where Mr. Tennent was when the 
robbery took jDlace. They went into court, and the evi- 
dence of these persons and of some others was so clear 
and positive as to the whereabouts of Mr. Tennent at the 
time referred to, that notwithstanding the powerful exer- 
tions of the prosecutors, the jury returned a verdict of ac- 
quittal. His deliverance seems to have been due to a 
special interposition of divine Providence, in making an 
impression in a dream upon the minds of two persons, 
who were able to say from their own knowledge, that he 
was on a particular Sabbath in a distant part of the 
country. 

Mr. Rowland continued to labor in the congregations of 
Maidenhead and Hopewell, N". J., until 1742, a period of 
about four years, when he removed into Pennsylvania, 
and by the appointment of the Presbytery of l^ew Castle, 
to which he was dismissed, he went to Charlestown and 
ISTew-Providence, not far from I^Torristown, in Montgomery 
County. In the church of Kew-Providence, now Provi- 
dence, he was much blessed by the outpouring of the 
Spirit of God accompanying his preaching. In a letter 
to the Rev. Mr. Prince, of Boston, he gives an account of 
the great reformation which was wrought in the habits 
and conduct of many who had been irreligious and im- 
moral previously, and of their conviction and conversion 
unto Grod. The power of the divine SjDirit was seen in a 
remarkable manner ; many were led to cry out aloud 
together in view of their sin and danger, and some were 



60 HISTORY OF 

caused to fall upon the ground fainting. These manifesta- 
tions of divine grace were witnessed first, when he was 
laboring there temporarily, as a missionary, and after- 
wards, when he was the stated minister of the congrega- 
tion. Those who were hopefully converted, manifested 
the genuineness of their experience by a correct, humble, 
and pious life, and he took much pains to increase their 
knowledge and to establish them in the faith and order 
of the Gospel. How long he remained in Providence is 
not known, probably but a year or two, as his name is 
not found in the roll of the l^ew Castle Presbytery in 
1745, when the Synod of ISTew York was constituted. 
His death had doubtless taken place previously to that 
year, but precisely when, or where he was buried, we 
have no information. He travelled extensively, preaching 
in various churches during the great awakening with 
which the land was then blessed ; was owned of God as 
the instrument in the conversion of many souls; and 
went to his reward when he was yet young. 

Besides those, some account of whom has just been 
given, others were educated wholly or in part at Log 
College, who filled positions of usefulness and honor in 
the church and society. That institution was commenced 
about the year 1726, soon after Mr. William Tennent, the 
elder, came to ]!!«[eshaminy, and it probably continued in 
existence and sent forth streams of blessing to the cause 
of Christ and to the world fifteen or twenty years. 
Exactly at what date it was given up is not known. But 
after Mr. Tennent's sons were all settled in the ministry, 
and he himself had grown old, it is probable the number 
of students in attendance within its walls gradually 



NESHAMINY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. 61 

diminished, and when the College of New Jersey was 
established (at Elizabethtown originally, in 1746), the 
necessity for the school at Neshaminy was no longer appa- 
rent. That College, commenced the same year in which 
Mr. Tennent died, was removed from Elizabethtown to 
Newark in 1748, and was permanently located at Prince- 
ton in 1756. The germ of this distinguished seat of 
learning, which has been honored by a long list of emi- 
nent men in the office of President, and which has trained 
many of the first men of the country, is to be found in 
Mr. Tennent's Seminary. One of the principal objects of 
them both was to fit pious young men for the sacred min- 
istry by imparting a sound and thorough education. 
There was but a slight interval of time between the close 
of the one and the commencement of the other, and they 
were both conducted by men of a similar spirit and 
kindred principles. 



CHAPTER VI. 

CLOSE OF THE LIFE OF REV. WILLIAM TENNENT, SR. 

Eev. William Tennent, Sr., Pastor at Neshaminy, con- 
tinued to be a member of the Presbytery of Philadelphia 
until the year 1741, when the disruption of the Synod 
took place, and he, in company with many ministers, who 



62 HISTORY OF 

sympathized with him in his views upon vital religion 
and the means proper to promote it, withdrew. He 
joined the Presbytery of JS^ew Brunswick, to which his 
sons, Gilbert and William, belonged, and remained associ- 
ated with it until his death. 

In the year 1735 or 1736, some of the congregation at 
E"eshaminy appear to have become dissatisfied with Mr. 
Tennent for some reasons, among which probably was his 
difference in doctrinal sentiment from the extreme Cal- 
vinists of that day, and his sympathy with the efforts 
made to promote revivals of religion and the salvation of 
the unconverted. They also complained that he had 
never been installed over them as Pastor, and went so far 
as to bring their opposition to him before the Presbytery 
of Philadelphia, which judicatory refused to sustain their 
complaint. They then appealed to the Synod. In this 
ecclesiastical body, after all parties, the appellants, Mr. 
Tennent, and the members of the Presbytery of Phila- 
delphia, had been heard at length, and the matter had been 
freely discussed, the following resolution was adopted 
September 17, 1736. 

" That it appears evident to this Synod, that Mr. Ten- 
nent having in all respects acted and been esteemed and 
looked upon, not only by this Synod, but also by the con- 
gregation of Ifeshaminy, and particularly by the appel- 
lants themselves, as the minister and pastor of the people 
of l^eshaminy, that he is still to be esteemed as the pastor 
of that people, notwithstanding the want of a formal in- 
stallment among them, (which omission, though the 
Synod doth not justify, yet it is far from nullifying the 
pastoral relation between Mr. Tennent and said people) 



NESHAMINY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. 63 

and consequently that the Synod doth justify the judg- 
ment of the Presbytery of Philadelphia, in reference to 
that matter, and that said appellants had no just cause of 
complaining against or appealing from said judgment of 
the Presbytery." 

The decision of the Synod, as well as that of the 
Presbytery, was to the effect, that those who had been 
displeased with Mr. Tennent, should abandon their oppo- 
sition, and cordially co-operate with him in the work of 
the Lord, and kindly listen to his instructions and coun- 
sels. But they were not ready to yield to this salutary 
recommendation, and the next year, 1737, they presented 
a petition to the Synod again in opposition to him. In 
the printed Minutes of the Synod, p. 133, the following 
entry is found. 

" A supplication from part of the congregation of 
JSTeshaminy, containing matters of complaint against Mr. 
William Tennent, and also an answer to the several arti- 
cles of said supplication from another part of the said 
congregation being brought in, and both of them read, 
article by article, and both parties heard at length what 
they had to say, all parties were ordered to remove, and 
some time being taken upon the merits of that cause, 
Mr. Thomson M^as ordered to draw up an overture on that 
affair, and bring it in, in the afternoon." 

In the afternoon of the same day, it was resolved, 

" That the reasons advanced by the disaffected party of 
the congregation of JSTeshaminy, in their supplication, in 
justification of their non-compliance with the Synod's judg- 
ment in relation to them last year, and their desire to be 
freed from Mr. Tennent as their Pastor, are utterly insuffi- 



64 HISTORY OF 

cient, being founded (as appears to us), partly upon igno- 
rance and mistake, and partly (as we fear) upon prejudice. 
It is therefore ordered, that the Moderator recommend it 
to said people to lay aside such groundless dissatisfac- 
tions, and return to their duty, which they have too long 
strayed from, otherwise the Synod will be bound in duty 
to treat them as disorderly." " Approved, nemine conira- 
dicente." 

Mr, Tennent continued to be Pastor at ISTeshaminy for 
about five years after this decision of the Synod was 
made, until he was nearly seventy years of age, and en- 
joyed the confidence and aftection of the great majority 
of his people, though some did not agree with him in all 
his theological views, nor in his ideas in respect to the 
proper measures for promoting the cause of religion. 

He occupied a high place in the regard of the Synod, as 
he was chosen Moderator of that body in 1730, and the 
following year opened its sessions with a sermon on the 
text, I Peter 1: 21, "Who by him do believe in God, 
that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory ; 
that your faith and hope might be in God." ^ 

Four years before his death Mr. Tennent felt unable, in 
consequence of physical infirmity, properly to meet all 
the requirements of the pastoral office, and presented, in 
1742, to the Presbytery of ISTew Brunswick, of which he 
had then been a member but one year, a paper referred to 
thus in the records of the Presbytery. 

"Mr. William Tennent, Sen., gave in to Presbytery a 
paper, setting forth his inability, by reason of advanced 
age, to discharge the work of the ministry unto the con- 
gregation of Neshaminy, over which, for divers years- 



NESHAMINY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. 65 

past, he has been overseer, — desiring the Presbytery to 
grant to said congregation of ISTeshaminy such supplies as 
they can." 

Who were sent as supplies in accordance with this re- 
quest, we do not know, but probably Rev. William Rob- 
inson was one. Mr. Tennent at this time no doubt re- 
signed his charge altogether, though no particular action 
by the Presbytery in dissolving the pastoral relation 
was necessary, as he had never been formally installed, 
and his successor is not spoken of in the records, as being 
a colleague. The congregation invited Mr. Robinson to 
accept the pastorate, but he declined the invitation, being 
engaged in travelling extensively and preaching as an 
evangelist, where revivals of religion demanded his assist- 
ance. 

In the Minutes of the New Brunswick Presbytery for 
the year 1746, it is stated : " It is reported to the Presby- 
tery that Mr. William Tennent, Sen., deceased since our 
last." 

His tomb-stone, in the grave-yard of JSTeshaminy 
Church, incorrectly gives the date of his death as May 6, 
1746. It should be 1745. 

In an old deed, now in possession of Mr. Cornelius 
Carroll, it is stated, that Rev. Gilbert Tennent, the oldest 
son of Rev. William Tennent, was his Executor in respect 
to his real estate, and that Catharine, his widow, was the 
Executrix in regard to his personal property. It also 
states that his will was dated February 16, 1745, and that 
he died shortly after. This deed, by which Rev. Gilbert 
Tennent conveys the farm to John Baldwin for £361, 
was dated February 28, 1746, and it states, that Mr. Wm. 



66 HISTORY OF 

Tennent Lad " lately deceased." The venerable man 
therefore undoubtedly died in 1746, aged 73 years. 

Dr. Alexander, in " Log College," says of him, " He 
died at his own house in iTeshaminy, and came to the 
grave in a good old age, like a shock of corn fully ripe. 
As far as we know, he never published anything. We 
have, therefore, no means of ascertaining his abilities as 
a writer ; but the benefit he conferred on the Church by 
his school can never be forgotten. The Presbyterian 
Church is probably not more indebted for her prosperit}'^ 
and for the evangelical spirit, which has generally per- 
vaded her body, to any individual than to the elder 
Tennent." 



CHAPTER VII. 

REV. FRANCIS McHENRY. 

For a considerable part of the time Mr. Tennent was at 
Neshaminy he preached frequently at Deep Run, where was 
a settlement of Scotch-Irish Presbyterians, about twelve 
miles north of his home, and six miles north of the present 
Borough of Doylestown.* Th e Church there was organized 
in 1732, probably through his instrumentality, and was 
called "Mr. Tennent's Upper Congregation," in the Records 

* Manual of Presbyterian Church of Doylestown, by S. M. An- 
drews, D. J). 



NESHAMINY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. 67 

of the Presbytery of Philadelphia until 1738, when the name 
of " Deep Run " appears. At this period, in consequence 
of advancing age and arduous labors, he consented to have 
an assistant. He was still engaged in Log College to 
some extent at least during the week, and supplied the 
pulpit at Feshaminy, and more or less regularly at Deep 
Run, on the Sabbath. These labors at the age of nearly 
threescore and ten years were more severe than he could 
well endure, and Presbytery deemed it advisable that 
some provision should be made for his relief. Tliey 
accordingly sent Rev. Francis McHenry to preach every 
third Sabbath at ISTeshaminy, and the rest of his time was 
to be devoted to Deep Run. Mr. McHenry was born in 
Ireland, A. D., 1710. -^In the Spring of 1739 ]N"eshaminy 
asked for his services kcdf his time, and that arrangement 
was no doubt made ; his Sabbaths being equally divided 
between Deep Run and Neshaminy, a considerable share 
of toil and responsibility being thus taken from the senior 
Pastor. As he was yet only licensed to preach, it was im- 
portant that he should be ordained, and the Presbytery 
met and ordained him to the full work of the Gospel 
Ministry, September 13, 1739, at the meeting-house, 
which then stood in the midst of the present grave-yard, 
forty rods from the modern church. This was about two 
months before the visit of § Rev. George Whitefield to 
that spot, already referred to, and there can scarcely be a 
doubt that Mr. McHenry was one of the auditors of the 
celebrated Evangelist, and one of the participants in the 
exercises of the occasion. 



* Webster's History of the Presbyterian Cliurch. 
I Page 15. 



6S HISTORY OF 

In the month of May, 1740, the congregation at Deep 
E,iin asked leave of the Presbytery to call Mr. McHenry 
to be their Pastor, and devote his whole time to them. 
But the Presbytery decided that it was best he should 
remain at I^eshaminy. At this period he was not the 
regular pastor of either of the two congregations, but 
only an assistant of Mr. Tennent. "When the division in 
the Synod took place between the " Old Lights " and the 
" New Lights," and Mr. Teanent joined the Presbytery of 
'New Brunswick, in 1741 ; or in 1742, when he gave up 
the charge of the church at IS^eshaminy, a division also 
occurred in the church there. Mr. Tennent and that por- 
tion of the congregation who sympathized with him, 
associated themselves with the " New Lights," who were 
constituted " the Synod of JSTew York," in 1745, consist- 
ing of three Presbyteries, namely, the Presbytery of 
New Brunswick, of ]N"ew York, and ISTew Castle. Mr. 
McHenry and the part of the congregation whose senti- 
ments were similar to his, remained with the Presbytery 
of Philadelphia, and worshipped in the original meeting- 
house, and Mr. Tennent's party built the new Church, 
which was erected in 1743. As Mr. McHenry had never 
been installed over the undivided Church, it was deemed 
proper by the Presbytery of Philadelphia, that he be in- 
stalled over that portion which remained with them, and 
also over Deep Run Church, which he still continued to 
serve as minister. Accordingly the installation took 
place, March 16, 1743, and his labors thenceforth appear 
to have been divided between the " Old Light " congre- 
gation at ISTeshaminy and Deep Pun. 

Mr. McHenry was chosen Moderator of the Synod of 



NESHAMINY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. 69 

Philadelphia twice, in the years 1744 and 1754, and 
preached at the opening of Synod, in 1745, on the text, 
Proverbs 11 : 30 : " The fruit of the righteous is a tree of 
life ; and he that winneth souls is wise ;'" and in 1755 on 
Hebrews 10 : 24 ; " And let us consider one another, to 
provoke unto love and to good works." 

He was frequently a member of the commission of the 
Synod, which was appointed yearly to have charge of the 
funds for assisting feeble churches, and to examine young 
men who had not passed through a regular course of 
study at any College or University, with a view to their 
licensure by some Presbytery. The Synod also chose him 
several times as a member of committees appointed to 
confer with similar committees from the Synod of ISTew 
York, in regard to a re-union of the two divided Synods. 
He was regularly in attendance upon Synodical meetings, 
and appears to have taken a prominent part in their 
transactions. 

In 1745, " Eev. Mr. Dorsius, pastor of the Reformed 
Dutch Church, in Bucks County,"' probably the church 
of Z^orth and Southampton, presented to the Synod let- 
ters from the Deputies of the Synods in Xorth and South 
Holland, in Europe, requesting information in regard to 
the High and Low Dutch Churches, and the Presbyterian 
Churches in America, and to the possibility of uniting 
them all in one ecclesiastical body ; or if that were not 
expedient, they stated, that '-they would form them- 
selves into a regular body and government among them- 
selves." A Committee was appointed by the Synod to 
answer these letters in Latin, one of whom was Mr. 
McHenry ; and it was reported the next year, that the 



70 



HISTORY OF 



reply was sent as directed. As Mr. McHenry was Moder- 
ator of the Synod that year, it is quite likely that the 
letter may have been from his pen, as he was a finished 
classical scholar, and prepared before his death a part of 
his own epitaph in the Latin language. 

In 1750, by appointment of Synod, he spent eight 
weeks as a Missionary in Virginia, preaching in destitute 
places and congregations, that were without a pastor, and 
the Presbytery was required by Synod to supply his 
church half the time during his absence. It was a custom 
in those days for ministers, by the direction of the Synod, 
to go to the settlements on the distant frontier, and to 
sparsely inhabited neighborhoods, and preach for a few 
weeks or months, leaving their own charges to be sup- 
plied by pastors who remained at home. This was a 
very laudable practice, and by it many churches were 
planted, kept alive, and fostered, until they had attained 
a state of strength and prosperity. 

Mr. McHenry continued Pastor of the " Old Side " 
congregation at JSTeshaminy, filling also regular appoint- 
ments at Deep Run, until his death, which took place 
January 23, 1757, when he was m the forty-seventh 
year of his age. He was buried in the grave-yard near 
the church, where for eighteen years he had been in the 
habit of declaring the counsel of God to his fellowmen, 
and where for nearly fourteen years he had been Pastor. 

The following is the inscription on the monument over 
his remains : 

This Marble, 

Sacred to the Memory of 

The Reverend and Pious Mr. Francis McHenry, 



NESHAMINY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. 71 

Whose mortal part lies here interred, was bestowed 

by bis grateful Congregation. He was modest and 

X^rudent; a learned Divine and an excellent Prea eb- 

er ; a vigilant Pastor, and a truly good man ; wbo 

made it bis study to live in peace and to 

win souls to Jesus Christ. He was born 

in Ireland, A. D., 1710, and hnisbed his 

e(5urse, January 23d, anno. 1757. He 

lived beloved and died lamented. 

Eeader, remember Death and 

imitate his virtues. 

"Age ea, quse moriturus agas. Dormio nunc liber, qui 
vixi in carcere carnis. Carnis libertas non nisi morte 
venit. Est mea Spes, requies, et firma liducia cordis, vivere 
cum Christo, qui mea sola salus. Fkaxcis McHexry." 



CHAPTER YIIL 



REV. CHARLES BEATTY. 



In 1742, when Rev. William Tennent, Sr., was unable 
longer to serve the ^eshaminy Church as its Pastor, as 
has already been mentioned, the congregation extended 
a call to Rev. "William Robinson, who had been under 
instruction in Log College, but he thought it not best 
to accept it. They then called Rev. Charles Beatty, also 
a pupil of that institution. 

He was the son of John Beatty, " who was of the 
Scotch-Irish stock,'^ a resident or native of the County 



••Record of the Beatty Family, by C. C. Beatty, D. D. 



72 



HISTORY OF 



Antrim, Ireland, and an officer in the British Army." 
His mother was the second wife of his father, and her 
maiden name was Christiana Clinton of Longford County. 
Charles Clinton, a younger brother of her's, was the ancestor 
of the Clinton family of the State of ISTew York. George 
Clinton, " General in the Revolutionary^ Army ; for 18 
years Governor of ]S[ew York, and for two terms Vice- 
President of the United States, was her nephew," and 
DeWitt Clinton, the projector of the Erie Canal, was the 
son of another nephew. When Charles Beatty was quite 
young, exactly at what date is not known, his father died, 
and left his mother a widow with at least four children, 
three daughters and himself. He is supposed to have 
been born in 1715, and when he was about fourteen years 
of age, in 1729, his mother determined to accompany her 
brother, Charles Clinton, with her family to America. 
There were a number of his friends and relatives, who 
were all zealous Presbyterians, and who were led, partly 
by a desire for freedom to worship God, to emigrate to 
the new world. A ship was chartered, " commanded by 
Capt. Rymer, and they sailed from Dublin for Philadel- 
phia, May 20th. The Captain was bound, by a written 
contract, to faithfully convey and land them at the place 
of destination ; but he proved, either treacherous, as they 
believed, or very unfortunate. The voyage was pro- 
tracted and disastrous. They were twenty-one weeks and 
three days on the passage, and when the American coast 
was sighted oif Cape Cod, they hired the Captain to land 
them there the latter part of October. During the long 
voyage, toward the close of which their allowance had 
been reduced to half a biscuit, and half a pint of water 



NESHAMIXY PRESBYTERIAX CHURCH. 73 

each for twenty-four hours ; many of the passengers died 
of famine and exposure ; among them a son and daughter 
of Mr. Clinton, and the eldest daughter of his sister Mrs. 
Beatty. It was generally believed by the passengers, that 
the Captain had been bribed to subject them to privation 
and hardships to discourage emigration, though some 
thought he only desired to possess himself of their 
property. So great was the indignation of the passengers, 
that they proposed to rise and take possession of the 
vessel, but were warned by Mr. Clinton, who seems to 
have been a leader, that it would be piracy in the eye of 
the law. and so were dissuaded from it.'' They remained 
a year and a half in the vicinity of Cape Cod, in Massa- 
chusetts, and in 1731 removed to Clster County, after- 
wards Orange County, in the State of Xew York. Charles 
Clinton, born in this country, a son of Charles who emi- 
grated hither, and a cousin of Rev. Charles Beatty, 
studied medicine, and in 1765 practised for a while in 
the neighborhood of Z^eshaminy, residing in the family 
of the latter. He afterwards went as a surgeon on a 
vessel of war to the West Indies, and died a bachelor. 

]^Irs. Christiana Beatty, Rev. C. Beatty's mother, lived 
with her children in Ulster County for some time, which 
was then a wild region covered with forests, and the in- 
habitants of which were liable to be attacked by roving 
bands of hostile Indians. She was subsequently married 
to Mr. James Scott, and removed to Xew York City, 
where she died in 1776 in the 91st year of her age. "She 
was possessed of a mind both naturally and by cultivation 
of a superior order, and of great moral purity. It is said, 
that when they were on Cape Cod, the people came quite 



74 



HISTORY OF 



a distance to listen to her playing upon the harp, in 
which she was a proficient, and she retained her harp to 
the close of her long life. She was exceedingly dignified 
in her deportment, and a pattern of propriety in her man- 
ners, conversation and dress." 

We have no certain information as to how long Charles 
Beatty stayed with his mother in Ulster County, but it 
is quite likely that he did so until he attained his 
majority, and that he was engaged during seven or eight 
j^ears of his boyhood and youth in the labors necessary to 
open and settle a new and uncultivated country. .Perhaps 
he may have gone with her to ISlew York City, and 
thence set out to seek his fortune in the world. He was 
probably instructed in the elements of an English and 
Classical education in Ireland, and further taught in 
America, until he became somewhat familiar with the 
Latin language as well as grounded in more common 
studies. Though he was of very respectable origin and 
his relatives were in good stajiding in society, his own 
resources were limited, and he decided to begin to do 
something for himself by carrying aronnd goods for sale. 
Dr. Miller says in his Life of Dr. Eodgers, who was well 
acquainted with Mr. Beatty, and who may have heard the 
fact from his own lips, that he " employed several of the 
first years of his residence on this side of the Atlantic in 
the business of a pedler. In the pursuit of this vocation 
he halted one day at the " Log College " on the J^esha- 
miny, then under the care of the Rev. William Tennent, 
the elder. The pedler, to Mr. Tennent's surprise, ad- 
dressed him in correct Latin, and appeared to be familiar 
with that language. After much conversation, in which 



NESHAMINY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. 75 

Mr. Beatty manifested fervent piety, and considerable re- 
ligious knowledge, as well as a good education in other 
respects, Mr. Tennent addressed him thus : ' You must 
quit your present employment. Go and sell the contents 
of your pack, and return immediately and study with 
me. It will be a sin for you to continue a pedler, when 
you may be so much more useful in another profession.' 
He accepted Mr. Tenuent's offer ; returned to N'eshaminy ; 
completed there his academical and theological studies ; 
and in due time became an eminent minister." 

Soon after finishing his studies under Mr. Tennent, 
which included a Theological as well as Classical course, 
he was licensed to preach by the Presbytery of 'New 
BrunsAvick, and accepted an invitation to be Pastor at 
JSTeshaminy. Dr. Alexander, in the History of Log Col- 
lege, says, " the Church was left vacant by the death of 
the venerable founder of Log College." This is an error, 
as Mr. Tennent did not die until 1745, two years after- 
wards. ]Mr. Beatty, as appears from an ancient receipt 
book of the church, " was ordained to this congregation 
of Warwick, in ye forks of IsTeshaminy, December 1, 1743,* 
and was to have for a yearly support in his ministry 
amongst us thQ sum of sixty pounds." This in Pennsyl- 
vania currency, which was in use at that time in the 
Province, $2.66 to the pound, was $160; a very small 
stipend ; but it must be recollected, that money was then 
at least three times as valuable as it is in our country at 
the present day. This continued to be the salary for 
twenty years, when it was increased to one hundred 



* jSTot Octuber, as Dr. Alexander .savs. 



76 HISTORY OF 

pounds annually, and remained at that point till Mr. 
Beatty's death. 

The same year in which Mr. Beatty was ordained, 
probably while he was preaching at ISTeshaminy, but be- 
fore the ordination by the Presbytery of ISTew Brunswick 
took place, the "]^ew Light" portion of the original 
congregation, over whom he was settled, bought a piece 
of ground, " containing two acres and two square perches," 
of Thomas Howell, who deeded it, July 1st, and 2nd, 
1743, to James Craven, John G-ray, Alexander Jemy- 
8on, Robert Walker, John McCulloch, George Hiear, 
Henry Jemyson, Jr., and John Scott, Trustees for the 
congregation. It was to be held by them and their suc- 
cessors as a site for a meeting-house, and any other build- 
ings necessary for the worship of God, and as a place of 
interment, fo.r those only, who " owned the doctrine of 
the Holy Scriptures ; the doctrine, worship, and discipline 
of the Church of Scotland, as set forth in the Westmin- 
ster Confession of Faith, Catechism, and Directory for 
worship and discipline, and also believing and owning 
this late work that hath appeared in this land, 'New 
England and Scotland, in calling sinners to repentance, to 
be the work of God." In the deed of trust, by wliich 
this land is conveyed, it is very carefully provided, that no 
persons, who were not in sympathy with Mr. Beatty and 
his congregation in their religious views, should ever hold 
office in the church meeting there. 

Immediately after obtaining possession of this lot, the 
people erected a house of worship on the spot where the 
present church stands, and a portion of the walls then 
built are still standing in the modern edifice, having been 



NESHAMINY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. 77 

in their place for more than one hundred and thirty 
years. 

The ground on the north-east side of the church was 
used for a time as a place of burial, and persons are now 
living who remember to have seen graves there, but no 
interments have been made there for probably a century. 
One of the children of Rev. Mr. Beatty was laid in that 
part of the church-yard. 

Some years after Mr. Beatty was settled at E'eshaminy, 
in common with some others, he was painfully moved by 
the ignorance and want of mental culture of many of the 
inhabitants of the region around his home ; and in order 
to do something to remove this great evil, it was proposed 
to establish a public Library at Hatborough, four miles 
south of his residence. He earnestly favored the plan, 
and measures were taken such that in 1756 it was opened 
in a private house in that village ; a building was subse- 
quently purchased for it, where, it remained for many 
years ; and in 1850, through a legacy of five thousand 
dollars of E'athan Holt, of Horsham, a new Library 
building was erected at an expense of over $4000, and an 
endowment of two thousand dollars secured. ISTow, it is 
one of the most valuable and extensive libraries outside of 
Philadelphia, in the south-eastern part of Pennsylvania. 
This institution, which has been the means of largely 
promoting the knowledge and intellectual improvement of 
the people of the vicinity, owes its origin in a measure to 
the foresight and public spirit of Mr. Beatty. 

In 1751 the Synod of ISTew York, with which Mr. 
Beatty and his congregation were associated through the 
Presbytery of New Brunswick, constituted a new Pres- 



78 HISTORY OF 

bytery, called the Presbytery of Abington. It was com- 
posed of the ministers and churches in Pennsylvania, and 
those in ISTew Jersey, south of Philadelphia, near Dela- 
ware. Its first meeting was held in Philadelphia in May, 
1762; and it continued to meet regularly, and l^eshaminy 
Church and its Pastor (ISTew Light) were connected with 
it till the re-union of the Synods in 1758. 

In 1752 the Presbj^terian Church in New York City being 
in a disturbed state, contentions having arisen among its 
members in regard to the proper book of Psalmody, the 
office of Trustees, what should be required of persons offer- 
ing their children for baptism, and other things, a commit- 
tee was appointed by the Synod, consisting of Rev. Samuel 
Davies, Rev. Samuel Finley, and Mr. Beatty, to go to ISTew 
York and " direct and assist the congregation there in 
such affairs as may contribute to their peace and edifica- 
tion." They went in October of that year, had a confer- 
ence with the church, and their counsels and exhortations 
were of service. But the dift'erences of opinion and feel- 
ing not being removed, and afterwards appearing with 
greater violence, a larger committee was sent to If ew York 
in 1753, one of whom was Mr. Beatty, and by their labors, 
continued through two days, harmony was in a measure 
restored to the distracted church. 

In 1754 Mr. Beatty was directed by the Synod to go to 
Virginia and J^orth Carolina and spend three months in 
supplying destitute neighborhoods and infant congrega- 
tions with the preaching of the Gospel. Three othfers 
were appointed also to do a similar work in the South at 
different times during the same year, and their pulpits 
were to be supplied during their absence by some of their 



NESHAMINY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. 79 

bretlireii who remained at home. ]\Ir. Beattj performed 
the service assigned him, and labored zealously among the 
people scattered through those regions, which were then 
thinly inhabited, and far more difficult of access than at 
the present day. 

He was an ardent patriot, and ready to expose himself 
to danger and severe toil in defence of his country. In 
1756 England was engaged in war with .b^^ance, and the 
Colonies in this country were involved in hostilities with 
the French and their allies, the Indians of Canada and 
the western wilderness. Troops were raised in Pennsyl- 
vania to defend the frontiers against the attacks of the 
savages. A corps of 560 men was enlisted and placed 
under the command of the Philosopher, Benjamin Frank- 
lin, and Mr. Beattj w^as appointed Chaplain. They 
marched against the enemy early in January of that year, 
but how long he was absent from home during the 
winter we are not informed. Colonel Franklin after some 
months returned to Philadelphia, and the troops were as- 
signed to the command of Colonel Clapham. 

Wliile Mr. Beatty was engaged in this work of hardship 
and peril, an amusing incident occurred, which is thus 
related by Franklin himself. 

" We had for our Chaplain a zealous Presbyterian Min- 
ister, Mr. Beatty, who complained to me that the men did 
not generally attend his prayers and exhortations. When 
they enlisted, they were promised, besides pay and pro- 
visions, a gill of rum a day, which was punctually served 
out to them, half in the morning and half in the evenino-, 
and I observed they were punctual in attending to receive 
it ; upon which I said to Mr. Beatty, ' It is perhaps below 



80 HISTORY OF 

the dignity of your profession to act as the steward of the 
rum; but if you were to distribute it out, only just after 
prayers, you would have them all about you.' He liked 
the thought, undertook the task, and with the help of a 
few hands to measure out the liquor, executed it to satis- 
faction ; and never were prayers more generally and more 
punctually attended. So that I think this method pre- 
ferable to the punishment inflicted by some military laws, 
for non-attendance on divine service," 

Mr. Beatty returned from this expedition under Frank- 
lin before the spring, 1756, and was employed in the faith- 
ful discharge of the duties of the pastoral office, when it 
is said, that as recruits were much needed for the army, 
an officer came into the neighborhood of ISTeshaminy to 
induce men to enlist for the defence of the province of 
Pennsylvania. After he had been there a few days, Mr. 
Beatty met him and inquired what success he had found 
in the object of his visit. He replied, that he had secured 
but few names ; almost all seemed indisposed to leave 
home. It was Saturday, and Mr Beatty asked whether he 
would be at church the next daj', and he said he expected 
to be. On the following day, at the close of the services,, 
the Pastor addressed his people in words to this effect : 
" The savages have attacked the frontier settlements, and 
are murdering our fellow citizens. The Grovernor has 
made a call for volunteers to march with a view to attack 
and drive them back, but I regret to learn that it is not 
very promptly met. It is certainly somebody's duty to 
go, and I have determined, if the Synod allows me, to 
ofl[er my services as Chaplain, and thus do my part. Of 
course it will be very pleasant for me to have the company 



NESHAMINY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. 81 

of any of the coDgregation or my neighbors, who may 
feel it their duty togo." This announcement produced a 
marked effect upon the audience, and through them upon 
the inhabitants of the vicinity, and during the next week 
about a hundred men joined the company that was raised 
at ISTeshaminy for the campaign against the Indians. 

In accordance with his expressed intention, on the 15th 
of April Mr. Beatty applied to the Commission of the 
Synod for supplies for his pulpit, as he had been requested 
by the Government of Pennsylvania to be Chaplain with 
the forces in the northern and western parts of the 
province. They approved of his accepting the post tend- 
ered him, and made suitable provision for his pulpit. 
" His commission by Lieutenant Governor Morris, of 
Pennsylvania, is dated, April 16, 1756." He kept a jour- 
nal of incidents that occurred in this expedition, from 
which, as given by Dr. C. C. Beatty in his account of the 
Beatty family, we extract the following. 

" Having received his Honor, the Governor's Commis- 
sion, to be Chaplain to the regiment of foot in the Pro- 
vincial Service, undqr tjie command of Col. Wm. Clapham, 
and having the advice and concurrence of the Commission 
of the Synod, who appointed supplys for my congregation 
in my absence, set out from home in order to join the 
regiment at Harris' Perry, Monday, May 3d, 1756. I was 
accompanied as far as Schuylkill by my elders and some 
other friends, and having stopped at a friend's house not 
far from the road to refresh myself, reached as far as the 
sign of the Ship on the Lancaster road, at which I lodged. 
Felt my need of the divine presence to be with me in my 
dangerous, or at least difficult, undertaking." 



82 HISTORY OF 

Thursday, May 20th, he says : " Preached at Yellow 
Breeches, over Susquehanna, in a meeting house belonging 
to the Presbytery of Donagal, at the people's invitation. 
Returned in the evening to camp ; one of my pistols went 
ofi" as 1 was laying it down, but, Grod be praised, did no 
hurt." 

" Friday, 21st. This being appointed by the Governor 
to be kept as a Day of Fasting and Prayer, his Honor the 
Oovernor being present, it was generally observed. 
Preached twice to a great audience, many attending from 
both sides of the river ; in the forenoon from Luke 13 : 3." 

The manuscript journal continues with occasional en- 
tries, and statements of his efforts to counteract the ten- 
dency in camp to vice, immorality, and irreligion, and 
accounts of alarms from threatened attacks of Indians far 
ther up the Susquehanna river, until the last part of Au- 
gust, when it abruptly terminates, and it is most probable 
that Mr. Beatty returned to Neshaminy. 

In 1758 application was made to him by Colonel Arm- 
strong to serve as Chaplain to the First Battalion of the 
Pennsylvania Provincials for the ensuing campaign, and 
when he asked the advice of Synod, which met in May, 
he was encouraged to enter upon the service, and arrange- 
ments were made for the supply of his pulpit until 
October. " His commission, still existing, bears date 
May 9th," and is signed by "William Denny, Lieut. 
Governor." We do not certainly know at what time in 
the summer he set out on the expedition, but as he went 
to the extreme western part of Pennsylvania, he was no 
doubt with the army of General Forbes, who left Phila- 
delphia early in July, at the head of 9000 men, and 



NESHAMINY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. 83 

marched against Fort JDu Quesne, now Pittsburg. " An 
advance party under Major Grant was attacked near the 
Fort and defeated with a loss of 300 men, but when the 
main body of the army approached, the French, deserted 
by their Indian allies, abandoned the place and escaped in 
boats down the Ohio."* Our forces took possession of 
the Fort ]S"ovember 25th, and its name was changed to 
Fort Pitt, in honor of William Pitt. 

One of those courageous and patriotic men, who went 
out to the western portion of the State against the French 
in company with Mr. Beatty, or about the same time, was 
Ensign James Darrah, or Dorough, as the name is spelled 
in the ancient paper from which this information is de- 
rived, and which is in possession of Elder R. H. Darrah. 
James Dorough served as Ensign in the Pennsylvania 
Regiment in 1758 or 1759. The paper referred to is dated 
York Town, 24th June, 1767, and is signed by David 
Jameson, Secretary of the Committee of Pennsylvania 
Officers. It is a printed circular notice, that it was pro- 
posed to petition the Governor for " liberty to take up 
upon the common terms of paying Purchase-money and 
Quit Pent, a large quantity of land for a settlement on the 
Branches of the Susquehanna, as soon as the next purchase 
shall be made from the Indians ; and also for the privilege 
of Pre-emption, or the choice of our lands in preference to 
others, who may apply on the same terms." Whether 
the petition was made and the land obtained, we are not 
informed. 

At Fort Pitt Mr. Beatty preached a thanksgiving- 
sermon before the whole army, after the triumphant 



* Wilson's Hist, of U. S. 



84 HISTORY OF 

occupation of the enemy's fortiii cation ; no doubt the first 
thanksgiving discourse, and perhaps the first Protestant 
sermon ever preached in the valley of the Mississippi. 

In 1759 he asked the advice of the United Synod of 
'New York and Philadelphia m regard to his acceptance 
of an invitation to serve as Chaplain in the army, and 
they judged it his duty to decline it, as the state of his 
congregation did not admit his absence. 

Mr. Beatty was deeply interested in the spiritual 
welfare of the Indian aborigines of our country, and was 
intimately associated with John Brainard, and his views 
and symyathies were quite similar to his. In 1759 the 
United Synod, advised Mr. Brainard to leave N^ewark, 
where he had been for a considerable period in charge of 
the Presbyterian Church, and resume his labors among 
the Indians, and at the same time they appointed Mr. 
McKnight to visit those savage tribes twice, and Mr. 
Beatty and Mr. Latta each once during the summer. 

The same year a charter had been obtained from the 
civil authorities of the Province for a fund for the relief 
of poor and aged ministers, and the widows and children 
of deceased ministers, and a committee was appointed to 
prepare a plan for the regulation and management of the 
fund, of which Mr. Beatty was one. The other members 
of the committee were Robert Cross, Gilbert Tennent, 
Dr. Alison, Samuel Finley, John Blair, and the Moderator 
of Synod, Richard Treat, of Abington. They were em- 
powered by the Synod to take proper measures to have 
persons sent out to solicit subscriptions. At their request 
the corporation of the fund appointed Dr. Rodgers of ISTew 
York to go to Great Britain to obtain pecuniary aid, but 



NESHAMINY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. 85 

as the situation of his family prevented his going, though 
he regarded the mission as a very desirable one, Mr. Beatty 
was appointed in his place. Dr. Miller says in his life of 
Dr. Rodgers, that Mr. Beatty fulfilled the appointment 
" to the great advantage of the fund, and to the satisfaction 
of the Synod." 

Supplies were appointed by the Synod for his church at 
IN'eshaminy, in 1760, 1761 and 1762, different ministers 
being directed to preach there from Msij to ITovember 
each of those years. He sailed from Philadelphia about 
the 20th of March, 1760, and arrived in London, April 
15th. He visited the ll^orth of Ireland, and Scotland, as 
well as England, and secured extensive collections and 
donations for the fund for the relief of ministers and their 
families, and for missionary and educational purposes. 
He made man_y acquaintances among the clergy, and 
wrote in a letter to America, July 7th, " I have preached 
seven or eight times in Scotland, almost as many times in 
Ireland, not to the disadvantage of my cause ; my military 
appointments have been of great advantage, and given me 
access to many persons." " He witnessed the coronation 
of Greorge III, October 25th, was presented at Court, and 
received from his Majesty a handsome donation for the 
fund." He crossed the English Channel to Holland, and 
wrote in June, 1761, that he intended soon to return 
home. When he actually did return seems uncertain, but 
as his wife, Mrs. Ann Beatty, gave to the trustees of 
iN'eshaminy church receipts for salary in JSTovember, 1760, 
and 1761 ; as he was not present at the meeting of Synod 
in May, 1762, and that body appointed supplies for the 
church for that summer, it is probable that he was 



86 HISTORY OF 

employed, either in Europe or this country, more than two 
entire years, in soliciting donations for the benevolent 
objects of the Presbyterian Church m America, which 
was at that time still weak in men and resources, though 
it had begun to experience an accelerated and healthy 
growth. 

In May, 1763, a request was presented to the Synod by 
the Corporation of the fund for the relief of poor and 
distressed ministers, that some clergymen " be sent to 
•preach to the frontier inhabitants, and to report their 
distresses, and to let us know where new congregations 
are a forming, and what is necessary to be done to promote 
the spread of the Gospel among them, and that they 
inform us, what opportunities there may be of preaching 
the Gospel to the Indian nations in their neighborhood." 

The " necessary expenses of these missionaries were to 
be paid by the board." In consequence of the above 
request Mr. Beatty and Eev. John Brainard were ap- 
pointed " to go as soon as they conveniently could, that 
they might return by the time of the next general meeting 
of the Corporation in October." 

In the Records of the Synod of 'New York and Phila- 
delphia for that year, it is said : "As the Synod have the 
mission to the frontiers much at heart, therefore, lest it 
miscarry, it is ordered, that if either Mr. Beatty or Mr. 
Brainard fail of going, Mr. Kirkpatrick shall go in place 
of the person who fails." 

It does not appear, however, that the visit of the 
missionaries was accomplished then. Three years elapsed 
before a successful eliort in that direction was made. 

In 1766 it is said in the Records: "According to a 



NESHAMINY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. 87 

former request," evidently that made in 1763, " of the 
Corporation of the Widows' fund, for missionaries to be 
sent to the frontiers of the province, the Synod appoint 
Messrs. Beatty and Rev. George Duffield of Carlisle, Pa., 
to visit the frontier settlements and the Indian tribes 
beyond the Alleghany Mountains, that the way might be 
opened for preaching the Gospel and establishing churches 
among them ; and Mr. Beatty's pulpit was to be supplied 
during his absence by Rev. Abner Brush two Sabbaths, 
by IsTew Castle Presbytery three Sabbaths, and by the First 
Philadelphia Presbytery the other Sabbaths." * He set 
out August 12, 1766, accompanied by Joseph Peepy, a 
Christian Indian, as an interpreter. At Carlisle Mr. 
Duffield joined them, and they proceeded on their journey 
westward, through a country then almost wholly covered 
with forest. They went on horseback and on foot to Fort 
Pitt, now Pittsburg, and one hundred and thirty miles be- 
yond. They reported to the Synod the next year, " that 
they found on the frontiers numbers of people earnestly de- 
sirous of forming themselves into congregations, and de- 
claring their willingness to exert their utmost in order 
to have the Gospel among them, but in circumstances 
exceedingly distressing and necessitous from the late 
calamities of the war in these parts. And also that they 
visited the Indians at the chief town of the Delaware 
I^ation, on the Muskingum, about one hundred and thirty 
miles beyond Fort Pitt, and were received much more 
cheerfully than they could have expected. That a consid- 
erable number of them waited on the preaching of the 
Gospel with peculiar attention, many of them appearing 



* Minutes of the Synod of N. Y. and Phila., p. o()2. 



<5» HISTORY OF 

solemnly concerned about the great matters of religion ; 
that they expressed an earnest desire of having further op- 
portunities of hearing those things ; that they informed 
them that several other tribes of Indians around them 
were ready to join v^dth them in receiving the Gospel, and 
earnestly desiring an opportunity. Upon the whole that 
there does appear a very agreeable prospect of a door open- 
ing for the Gospel being spread among those poor be- 
nighted savage tribes." 

After being absent about six weeks they, returned home 
in safety. Dr. Alexander, in his notice of the life of Mr. 
Beatty, says : 

" In Allen's American Biographical Dictionary it is 
stated, that Mr. Beatty was engaged in missionary work 
from 1740 to 1765, a period of twenty-five years. This 
must be a great mistake. Mr. Beatty was not in the 
ministry so early as 1740, and his service as a missionary 
did not continue one-sixth part of the time specified." 

The truth is he was gone from home, among Indians, 
less than two months. In the Records of JSTeshaminy 
Church, there is a receipt for payment of salary given by 
him, dated JSTovember 27, 1766, the same year in which 
he was among the Indians ; and in his journal, published 
in London, he does not speak of being among them later 
than the last part of September. 



NESHAMINY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. 89 



CHAPTER IX. 

PART OF THE JOURNAL OF REV. C. BBATTY. 

A few extracts from this journal will here be given. 
Speaking of his arrival at Fort Pitt, Mr. Beatty says : 

" September 5th, Friday. Set out early this morning, 
and rode to Turtle Creek, eight miles, before breakfast ; 
and riding 18 miles more, we arrived at Fort Pitt a little 
before night. We immediately waited on the command- 
ing officer, Capt. Murray, who received us politely and 
introduced us to the Rev. McLagan, Chaplain to the 42nd 
Regiment, part of which are now in garrison here. 

" 6th, Saturday. Remained in Pittsburg, and received 
much civility from the corps of officers here. They 
invited us to their table, and the commanding officer 
ordered us a room in the Fort while we stayed. Mr. 
McLagan, with some other gentlemen of the place, fur- 
nished us with blankets to sleep in, and some other neces- 
saries, so that we fared as well as we could expect. 

" 7th, Sabbath. At the invitation of Mr. McLagan, 
preached in the forenoon to the garrison in the Fort, while 
Mr. Duffield, at the same time, preached to the people, 
who live in some kind of a town, without the Fort, to 
whom I also preached in the afternoon. The audience 
were very attentive and much engaged." 

They left Pittsburg on the 10th of SeptemDer, and 
crossed the Allegheny River in a canoe, " swimming our 



90 HISTORY OF 

horses along side of it." " In the night there fell a heavy 
rain, which wet us much." 

" Friday, 12th. The morning dark and heavy, with 
small rain. Our clothes heing wet last night made our 
condition very uncomfortable. After travelling twelve 
miles we came to the second Beaver river, which we 
crossed and proceeded six miles further to the third Bea- 
ver river, where we encamped, having but poor feed for 
our horses. 

"• Joseph, our interpreter, who went on before to hunt for 
us, returned without anything, so that we had poor living 
for ourselves as well as our horses. However, we had 
some bread, for which we had reason to be thankful. 

"Sabbath, 14th. We rested on the Sabbath, and sup- 
posing this to be the first Sabbath ever kept in this wil- 
derness, we gave the place of our encampment the name 
of Sabbath Ridge. 

"A number of Indians, who had been trading at Fort 
Pitt, came up with us, and wondered why we did not 
travel that Sunday. They had about one hundred gallons 
of rum with them. We explained the matter to them as 
well as we could. Our interpreter, who had gone out to 
procure something for our subsistence, returned late in 
the morning with a young deer on his back, which we 
immediately divided, giving three-quarters to the three 
companies of Indians who travelled with us, and reserved 
one-quarter for ourselves. This was a seasonable supply 
for them as well as for us. 

" Tuesday, 16th. Entered more freely into conversation 
with the Indians, our fellow travellers, and found them 
more sociable and communicative than before. Their 



NESHAMINY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. 91 

chief man, especially, became more friendly, wlien lie 
found that we were not Moravians, against whom he had 
taken up a prejudice. On this day, after crossincr several 
streams and extensive savannahs, we arrived at Tuska- 
lawa before night. Our fellow traveller, the chief, now 
became very friendly, invited us to his house, where we 
were treated with great respect and kindness. He 
brought us some green corn, which we roasted, and some 
cucumbers, which we ate without salt or any other con- 
diment. Having preserved a small portion of the venison 
from the last night, we made some soup, and gave part 
to our host and his family. Having prayed with the 
family, our interpreter explaining the nature of the ser- 
vice, we proceeded on our journey, and our kind host sent 
a young man seven or eight miles to show us the way. 
As we passed through the town we saw a number of 
Indians in a state of intoxication from the rum which 
they had brought from Fort Pitt, and when in this they 
appeared very terrible, and behaved as mad men. 

" Thursday, 18th. After travelling twenty miles through 
swamps and marshy ground, we reached the town about 
3 o'clock, p. M. "VYe now sent notice of our arrival to the 
king or head man of the Delaware nation. In the mean- 
time, the woman at whose house we stayed, and who was 
a near relative of our interpreter, furnished us with a 
little hut for ourselves, and spread some skins for our 
bed, which was far better than what we had been lately 
used to have. 

" Friday, IQth. The king sent us word that he was 
ready to receive us. We went accordingly to the Council 
House. This house is a long building, with two fires in 



92 HISTORY OF 

it, at a proper distance, without any cliiraney or par- 
tition. 

" As soon as we entered the king rose from his seat 
(nothing unusual), and took us by the hand, and gave 
thanks to the Great Being above, the Creator and Pre- 
server of all, that we had the opportunity of seeing each 
other in the wilderness, and appeared truly glad on the 
occasion. We were then conducted to a seat near his 
majesty ; the council being seated on each side of the 
room. After sitting awhile silent, according to their cus- 
tom, I arose, and by Joseph, our interpreter, delivered my 
speech. It is an invariable rule with the Indians, when 
they receive an address or speech, not to return an imme- 
diate answer, but to take time to deliberate. 

" In the speech which I delivered, we gave them an 
account of the design of the Synod in commissioning us 
to visit them, with the view of ascertaining whether they 
were disposed to receive the Christian religion, and to 
have some ministers sent among them. 

" In the evening an Indian and his sister, both advanced 
in years, came to our house. They had been in New Jer- 
sey in the time of the revival of religion among the 
Indians there, and had received some good impressions 
from the preaching of the Rev. David Brainard. They 
afterwards joined the Moravians, but seemed to have, 
in a great measure, lost their serious impressions, but re- 
quested us to talk to them on the subject of religion, 
which we did through our interpreter. We also prayed 
with them, and on taking leave they seemed much 
affected. 

" Saturday, 20th. Five of the pinncipal men came to our 



NESHAMTNY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. 93 

hut, and after sitting an houi^ in silence, they returned 
our string of wampum, saying, ' They could not under- 
stand it.' 

" After talking some time about it, they brought out 
and showed a belt of wampum of friendship, which Sir 
"William Johnson had given them. The belt, they told 
us, he held by one end, and they by the other, and when 
they had anything to say, they must go along the path 
marked on the belt. To this they added that they be- 
lieved there was a great God above, and desired to serve 
him in the best manner they could ; that they thought of 
him on lying down and rising up, and hoped he would 
look upon them and do them good. 

" As the next day was the Sabbath, we requested to 
know whether they would give us a hearing, to which 
they gave their assent, and exhorted us not to be dis- 
couraged at the delay of receiving a full answer to our 
proposals, as they always took time to deliberate. Ac- 
cordingly, one of their chief men went around and gave 
notice that we would preach to them at the council 
house ; and another of their counsellors came to our hut 
to conduct us to the place of meeting. A considerable 
number both of men and women attended, and I preached 
to them from. the Parable of the Prodigal Son (Luke xv). 
Good attention was paid, and the women appeared really 
to lay to heart what they heard. After sermon we sat 
awhile with them, and asked, if it would be agreeable, 
that we should speak to them again in the afternoon. 
They said it would. 

"About three o'clock the people collected again, and Mr. 
Duffield preached to them from 1 Cor. xv. 22, in which 



94 HISTORY OF 

he gave a plain narrative of all being dead in Adam, and 
that all believers would be made alive in Christ. The 
people appeared to be much engaged, and well pleased 
with what they heard. Our interpreter remained with 
them some time after the sermon, and brought us word 
that the king and chief men were desirous that we should 
speak again to them on the morrow, with which we were 
rejoiced. 

" In the evening of this day, Monday, which was ob- 
served by the Indians like a Sabbath, several came to our 
hut, and heard us explain many things contained in the 
Bible. Among them was a young man named Neolin, 
who for some time past had been in the habit of speaking 
to the Indians, and reproving them for their wicked 
ways, and was the means of reforming a number of them. 
The answer of this young man, when we inquired what 
put him in this practice, partakes of the marvellous. 
He said that six years ago a man came and stood in his 
door, and told him that all who followed bad ways 
would, after death, go to a miserable place, but those 
who hated evil, and did what was right and pleasing to 
God, would be taken to a happy place. In the afternoon 
the king and four chief men of the council came and de- 
livered a formal speech, in which they acknowledged the 
evil of drunkenness, to which they were addicted, but 
said the blame did not entirely belong to them, but to 
the white men, who brought rum and sold it to them. 
They also complained of the conduct of the whites in 
other respects. This day was so much taken up in im- 
portant conferences with the chief men, that no opportu- 
nity of preaching was afforded. 



NESHAMINY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. 95 

" Tuesday, 22d. This day the head men met in council, 
where we attended, and I preached to them from Luke 
xiv. 16. In my discourse I showed that there were rich 
provisions made in the Gospel for poor sinners, the na- 
ture of these provisions, and why they were compared to 
a marriage feast ; how men made excuses for not comply- 
ing with the invitations by the ministers, and how some 
by the grace of God were made willing, and then con- 
cluded with an exhortation to them to accept the gracious 
invitation. 

"A solemn awe appeared on the face of the assembly. 
All seemed attentive to the things which were spoken, 
and some seemed aflected. The interpreter was so much 
affected at times that he could scarcely speak ; and 
indeed, I must own that my own heart was warmed with 
the truths I delivered, and with the effect they seemed 
to have on these poor, benighted heathen. Blessed be 
God ! Let all the praise be to him ! We have reason to 
hope not one opportunity enjoyed here has been in vain, 
and we trust that the good impressions which have been 
made will be permanent. May the Lord grant that our 
hopes may not be disappointed." 

Before Mr. Beatty and Mr, Duffield took their depar- 
ture from the Indians, they delivered to the chiefs a sol- 
emn and appropriate address, which is recorded in Mr. 
B's journal. They accompanied it with the present of 
a string of wampum, which the natives received with 
apparent friendliness. To one who had learned to read 
a little while among the English, they gave a Bible ; to 
a woman, a small book entitled, "A Compassionate Ad- 
dress to the Christian World." 



96 HISTORY OF 

On Thursday, September 24th, the travellers left their 
copper-colored hosts, and commenced their journey home- 
wards. They would have been glad to remain longer, 
if they could have enlightened those dark-minded vic- 
tims of superstition in respect to theh^ duty to God ; but 
they had obtained some knowledge upon their state and 
wants, and had endeavored to communicate to them some 
great and important truths, and they must repair now to 
their own appropriate fields of labor. They trusted that 
the way might be opened for missionaries to come and 
live among these and other tribes in the vast western 
regions, of which they had had a glimpse. On Wednes- 
day, October 15th, Mr. Beatty arrived at his home at 
Keshaminy, having had a pleasant but fatiguing tour. 
The report which he and his companion made to the 
Synod was entirely approved, and it was hoped that 
Providence would soon lead others to go and labor among 
the Indians permanently ; but many years passed away 
before anything effective was done in that good work. 

When he visited Scotland, in 1768, he sent his Journal 
to Rev. Dr. John Erskine, of Edinburgh, with an inter- 
esting account of missionary labor among the Indians, 
and some thoughts and discussions upon their origin, 
advocating the view that they were the descendants of 
the ten "Lost Tribes of Israel." The whole was pub- 
lished under Mr. Beatty's supervision. The first edition 
was published in London in 1768, and another in Edin- 
burgh in 1798. It is not known that it was ever pub- 
lished in fiLiU in this country. 



NESHAMINY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. 97 



CHAPTER X. 

REV. C. BEATTY VISIT TO GREAT BRITAIN. 

In 1767 Mrs. Beatty having sufi'ered a considerable 
time with a cancer in the breast, and suitable medical 
and surgical aid not being accessible in this country, her 
husband determined to take her to Great Britain, that 
they might consult eminent physicians there. The sister 
of Mrs. Beatty, Mrs. Hacket, went with them. They 
intended to have gone in a vessel direct to London, but 
reaching ISTew York one day too late, the}^ took the next 
ship for G-reat Britain, which was bound for Greenock, 
in Scotland, and which sailed August l^h. They arrived 
September 25th, and her health being very delicate, they 
remained there for some time, hoping that she would be 
able soon to make the journey to London. Dr. William 
CuUen, a celebrated physician of Edinburgh, was sent for 
in consultation, and he strongly advised them not to 
think of going further. She was attended by the most 
competent medical advisers and nurses, but to no purpose. 
She gradually sank until she died, March 22d, 1768, 
" soon after the birth of an infant daughter, who sur- 
vived her but a short time." They were both buried at 
Greenock. 

About three weeks after his arrival in Scotland he 
wrote a letter to Rev. Richard Treat, of Abington, in 



98 HISTORY OF 

which he touches upon the election of Rev. Dr. Wither- 
spoon to the Presidency of the College of 'Hew Jersey. 
Both he and Mr. Treat were members of the Board of 
Trustees of the College, he himself having been chosen a 
member in 1763. 

We will insert the following extracts from the letter: 

Greenock, October 15tla, 1767. 
Eev. and Dear Sir : 

You have doubtless heard that we embarked for Glasgow, the 
first ship bound for Britain. We sat sail from New York the 10th 
of August, and arrived here in 37 days. 

There are two. churches of the Establishment and one seceding 
meeting-house of the Anti-Burghers, here. Mr. Turner, a minister 
of one of the churches, soon visited me after our arrival, invited me 
to preach for him, which I did the two Sabbaths I have been here, 
both forenoon and afternoon, to a crowded and attentive audience. 
This gentleman, now in years, appears to be a sound, good man. 
The minister of the other church I am not yet acquainted with, 
and very likely shall remain so. There is little or no correspon- 
dence kept up between him and Mr. Turner. He has the most 
polite audience, but Mr. Turner the most serious. Last Friday I 
went to GlasgOAv, which is about 18 miles from here ; saw several 
of my friends, ministers and some others. On Saturday I went to 
Paisley, sent for Dr. Witherspoon to my inn, who in a ver^^ 
friendly manner invited me to lodge at his house. At first I was 
reluctant; however, upon his insisting upon it, I consented. I 
preached for the Doctor both parts of the day, and he lectured 
only. He appears to me, as I observed to you, to be a good 
speaker and preacher, though not a fine speaker. I cannot think 
he is so old as you have heard, though I did not ask his age. I see 
him make no use of spectacles, neither public nor private. 

I need say nothing now to you about choosing a President for 
. Jersey College ; for before now you will be fixed, either by a choice 



NESHAMINY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. 99 

in America or here. Dr. Witherspoon has liad a call to a congre- 
gation in Dublin this last summer, and had the offer of £200 sal- 
ary ; that amount or a little more and a house, but he declined it. 
In short, he told me that the call to the College had been much on 
his mind, and nothing had ever given him — 

A part of the letter is here torn off, and the sentence is 
unfinished. 

"P. S. — October 29th. — I have had letters from some of my 
friends in Edinburgh. One writes that there was a subtle letter 
wrote over from Princeton under a pretense to encourage Dr. 
Witherspoon to accept the call of New Jersey College, but it was 
quite the reverse. Complaint is also made that the Synod wants 
to take what was collected in Scotland out of the hands of the cor- 
poration, and that the widows' fund will be lost, &c., but I shall be 
able to set that matter in another light." 

During his sojourn in Scotland many marks of respect 
were bestowed upon him by the public ; among others he 
was by letters patent constituted a free Burgess of 
Greenock, and another Scotch Burgh ; and of Paisley 
after his return to America, the last being dated December 
23, 1769. 

He was absent on this visit to Europe almost two years. 
His employments during the latter part of this period, 
subsequent to his wife's death, are unknown to us. He 
may have been collecting funds for the Presbyterian 
Church in America, as on a previous tour eight years 
before. 

He and Mrs. Hacket arrived at 'New York on their 
return, July 20, 1769, being on the ocean eight weeks, a 
long passage even for that day. 

Mr. Beatty always evinced a deep interest in the pros- 
perity of the College of New Jersey at T^rinceton, of 



100 HISTORY OF 

which he was a Trustee nine years. He ultimately lost 
his life in efforts to promote its welfare. " Log College " 
was the germ of that institution, which within the past 
half century has been so greatly favored and distinguished, 
and it was natural that it should be dear to him who 
had been trained for the ministry in the bosom 
of its humble parent, and who was Pastor of the 
church located where it found its origin. The ]^ew 
Jersey College was financially depressed. It was but a 
child as yet ; the country was new, and population scat- 
tered. It was deemed advisable that some one should 
visit the West Indies, where were many English residents 
of wealth and influence, who it was supposed might be 
induced to contribute pecuniary assistance. 

Dr. Witherspoon was first appointed by the JBoard of 
Trustees to undertake the task, but his duties as President 
prevented his leaving, and he recommended his son, 
James Witherspoon, as a proper person to perform the 
work, and Mr. Beatty was selected to accompany him, 
March 12, 1772. 

A passport, given to Mr. Beatty by Governor Penn, of 
Pennsylvania, son of William Penn, with reference to the 
mission he was about to enter upon, commences thus : 

" Whereas, the Eev. Mr. Chcarles Beatty hath informed us, that 
he proposes to go on a voyage to the West India Islands, in order 
to sohcit benefactions for a iDubhc seminary of learning, in a neigh- 
boring province, and hath requested my passport and recoramen- 
dation ; These are to certify, that the said Mr. Beatty hath resided 
many years in this Province, within a few miles of this City, and 
during the last war from a spirit of loyalty and love to his country 
he exposed himself to great dangers as a volunteer, and served in 



NESHAMINY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. 101 

the capacity of a Chaplain to the Provincial forces, and that he is a 
minister of undoubted rejDutation for integrity, candour, and mod- 
eration. Now," &c. 

This was dated. April 14, 1772, and a similar document 
was given by Governor Franklin, of 'New Jersey, in 
which he uses like terms, of about the same date. 

Mr. Beatty and Mr. Witherspoon sailed from Philadel- 
phia May 12, and arrived at the Island of Barbadoes 
June 6th. " He writes on the 15th to his daughter 
Betsey, who had charge of the family, with ' honest Peggy 
Scott and his man Elijah, who had charge of the planta- 
tion.' He says that he was well received by the Governor 
and principal citizens, but the prospects were somewhat 
discouraging. He died at Bridgeton, on that Island, of 
yellow fever, August 13, 1772,"^ and his grave is there in 
a strange land." Dr. Sproat, of Philadelphia, preached a 
funeral sermon on his death, when intelligence of it 
reached there, and he was widely lamented as a pious, 
able, devoted, and highly useful minister of the Gospel. 

" He published 

I. A sermon preached at Fairfield, N. J., 1756, at the 
ordination of Rev. William Ramsey, entitled, 'Double 
Honor due to the Laborious Gospel Minister.' 

II. Journal of a two months' tour among the frontier 
inhabitants of Pennsylvania, 1768. 

III. A letter to the Rev. John Erskine, D. D., in 
regard to the Indians being descendants of the Ten 
Tribes. 

TV. Further remarks respecting Indian affairs." 



Record of the Beatty Family, by Dr. C. C. Beatty. 



102 HISTORY OP 

Most of his preparations for the pulpit were made with- 
out writing, and scarcely any of his discourses have come 
down to our day. Yet he was a popular and efiective 
preacher. " The daughter of Dr. Sproat, of Philaddphia, 
said, that no minister who assisted her father was more 
universally acceptable, both to that congregation and to 
others ; and that her father was always pleased to have 
his services among them." In Presbytery and other 
ecclesiastical bodies he was honored by his brethren in the 
ministry by being frequently chosen a member of impor- 
tant committees and in other ways. He took a promi- 
nent part in the proceedings of the Synod, both before and 
after the reunion of the " Old and 'New Sides," and was 
usually on the Synodical Commission, on the Committee 
for the College of New Jersey, and for the Fund for the 
relief of aged and indigent Ministers, and the Widows of 
deceased Ministers. 

" The folio w^ing remarks were made by Mr. Grier, an 
aged member of the Presbyterian Church of Deep Run, 
Bucks Co., Penn., to Rev. C. C. Beatty, in the spring 
of 1822. 

" The first sermon I ever heard in America was from 
the Rev. Charles Beatty of ISTeshaminy, the last I have 
heard is from his grandson of the same name. I landed 
at Philadelphia, a youth of twenty years of age, and 
having some relatives in Neshaminy went immediately- 
there. The day after my arrival was the Sabbath, and I 
went with my friends to hear Mr. Beatty preach. He 
was greatly esteemed by his congregation. "When he 
came into the meeting-house I observed that he stopped 
and spoke to several persons on his way to the pulpit, and 



NESHAMINY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. 103 

learned afterwards that his object was to inquire where 
there was sickness, trouble, or any particular circum- 
stances, so that he might offer prayer for the especial case. 
He was a very lively and animated speaker, used no notes, 
and his eye was passing constantly and searchingly over 
every part of the assembly. It was said that he could 
then detect at once the absence of any of his congregation, 
or the presence of any stranger. Of the latter part I had 
some knowledge ; for immediately after the close of the 
service he came up to me and said, ' Young man, I per- 
ceive you are a stranger in these parts.' I told him that 
I had just arrived from Ireland. ' You have done well,' 
said he ; ' this is a better country for you ; and if you are 
industrious, steady, and Grod-fearing, you cannot but suc- 
ceed.' This was more than fifty-five years ago, and I 
never saw him again, having soon after left that neigh- 
borhood ; but I have not forgotten his manner and words, 
and the impression they made upon me. Being desirous 
of hearing his grandson, I have come out, though with 
difficulty, and may never hear another sermon." 

Dr. Beatty adds, that it so happened that Mr. G-rier 
never was out again, and died soon after. 

Mr. Beatty took much pains with the training of his 
children, and gave them the best opportunities he was 
able to provide for their intellectual and moral culture, 
teaching them himself at home and sending them to such 
schools as were within his reach, and they all derived 
great benefit throughout life from his care and instruc- 
tion. 

He resided for many years on a large farm, which he 
owned, a short distance south of the meeting-house, which 



104 



HISTORY OP 



is now owned by Mr. John M. Darrah. But toward the 
close of his life he purchased fifty-seven acres at the Cross 
Roads, now the village of Hartsville, on which he built 
a substantial stone house, which, having been repaired 
and remodelled at two or three diiierent times, is now 
standing and is occupied as a residence by Mr. William 
Long. The joists and other timbers in it are perfectly 
sound, though more than a hundred years old. 



CHAPTER XI. 



CHILDREN OF REV. C. BEATTY, 



Mr, Beatty was married June 24, 1746, to Ann Reading, 
daughter of John Reading, of Amwell, Hunterdon Co., 
New Jersey. Her father inherited from his parents a 
large tract of land adjoining what is now the town of 
Lambertville, IST. J., where she was born. They were 
Quakers, but being anxious that their children should 
have a better education than America could afford, John, 
with others, was taken to England, and there became a 
Presbyterian. On his return to this country he attached 
himself to the Presbyterian Church, and continued 
warmly interested in its welfare through life. His 
parents are buried in Buckingham, Bucks Co., Pa. He 
was a member of " His Majesty's Council " for the Colony 



NESUAMINY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. 105 

of 'New Jersey many years, and its Vice-President ten or 
twelve years. At the death of Governor Hamilton, in 
1747, the government rested upon him until the arrival of 
Gov. Belcher ; and at the death of Gov. Belcher he be- 
came acting Governor a second time, 1757, and continued 
in the office until June, 1758, when he was superseded by 
the arrival of Francis Bernard, who had been appointed 
Governor by the King of England. From this fact Mrs. 
Beatty's father is called Governor -Reading. 

Mr. and Mrs. Beatty had eleven children, two of whom 
died very young. 

I. Mary Beatty, the oldest child of Rev. C. Beatty, 
born, 1747, was married to the Rev. Enoch Green, of 
Deerfield, West Jersey. Her husband, being Chaplain in 
the army of the Revolution, took camp fever and died, 
Dec. 20, 1776. Toward the last part of her life she resided 
with her daughter in Philadelphia, and was a member of 
the First Presbyterian Church, under the pastoral care of 
Rev. James P. Wilson, D. D., and of Rev. Albert Barnes, 
" to whom she ^vas much attached and by whom she was 
much revered as a mother in Israel." She was a warm 
patriot, and during the whole of the Revolution she re- 
fused, on principle, to use tea, though she was very partial 
to that beverage. She died. May 2, 1842, in the 96th 
year of her age, and her remains were laid in the burying 
ground of the Presbyterian Church, corner of Fourth and 
Pine streets, Philadelphia. 

II. Christianna Beatty, the second child of Mr. Beatty, 
was born at Neshaminy, June 17, 1748, and was partly 
educated, like her elder sister, in ISTew York, and it is said 
that she died there, but the date of her death is not 
known. 



106 HISTORY OF 

III. John, Mr. Beatty's third child, and eldest son, 
was born Dec. 10, 1749, and was named for his maternal 
grandfather. Gov. John Reading. He graduated at 
Princeton in 1769, being in the first class graduated under 
President Witherspoon. He subsequently studied medi- 
cine with Dr. Rush of Philadelphia, in 1770 and 1771, 
and began the practice of his profession at Hartsville, 
within the congregation of I^eshaminy, in 1772, but soon 
after moved to Princeton, iT. J. In the beginning of the 
Revolutionary struggle with Gt. Britain, he was ap- 
pointed Captain, joined the army, and remained connected 
with it five years. In 1776 three of his brothers were in 
the American army besides himself, making four of Mr. 
Beatty's sons who were all ofiicers in the service of their 
country during the war of Independence. Probably the 
same could be said in regard to very few families. 

John Beatty rose to the rank of Major, but was taken 
prisoner at the surrender of Port Washington, on the 
northern part of Manhattan or IS&w York Island, ISTov. 16, 
1776, and suifered a rigorous confinement within the 
British lines until May, 1778, when he was exchanged. 
After his health, impaired by his captivity, was 
sufiiciently restored, he was appointed Commissary Gen- 
eral of prisoners with the rank of Colonel, and continued 
thus engaged until April, 1780, when he resigned and was 
honorably discharged from the service. He resided at 
Princeton, and represented i^Tew Jersey as delegate to the 
Continental Congress in 1783-85, and also in the Federal 
Congress 1793-95. He was at one time a member of the 
Legislature of New Jersey and Speaker of the House of 
Representatives. In 1795 he was elected Secretary of 



NESHAMINY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. 107 

State of tliat Commonwealth, and remained in that office 
ten years. During this time and subsequently he lived at 
Trenton and South Trenton, and was President of the 
Trenton Delaware Bridge Company in 1803 ; and in 1804 
laid the foundation stone of the first pier of the bridge, 
which still stands firm and strong after the lapse of 
seventy years. The erection of this bridge, connecting 
the two States of [N'ew Jersey and Pennsylvania, and on 
what was then the main travelled route from ISTew York 
to Philadelphia, was regarded as a great work, being on a 
new principle, and attracted much attention throughout 
the country. " It was deemed both in America and Gt. 
Britain a great achievement of civil engineering and 
architecture." During the last eleven years of his life he 
was President of the Trenton Banking Company, and for 
nearly twenty years he was a Trustee of the College of 
New Jersey. A member and ruling Elder in the Presby- 
terian Church of Trenton, he died in the hope of the 
Gospel, May 30, 1826, aged 77 years. 

The Epitaph on his tomb, written by Chief-Justice 
Ewing, is as follows: 

SACRED TO THE MEMORY OF 

GENEEAL JOHN BEATTY, 

Born, December 10, 1749 ; 

Died, May 30, 1826. 

Educated as a physician, he became early distinguished 
for benevolence, assiduity and skill. In the War of Inde- 
pendence, in important military stations, he faithfully 
served his country. By the public voice he was called to 
the discharo-e of eminent civil offices. In the State and 



108 HISTORY OF 

National Legislatures repeatedly a representative, always 
active and influential. For many years a ruling Elder of 
this church. In every walk of life amiable, honorable, and 
useful. He crowned the virtues of the citizen, the pa- 
triotism of the soldier, and the sagacity of the statesman 
bytheiDure piety and sincere religion of the devout and 
humble Christian. 

TV. The fourth child of Rev. C. Beatty was Elizabeth, 
born March 26, 1752. At the death of her mother she 
was about fifteen years of age, and three years later, by 
the marriage of her older sister, she was left in charge of 
her father's family, which duty she performed with exem- 
plary diligence, fidelity and skill. After her father's 
death the family was somewhat scattered, and the 
younger boys were placed at Mr. Long's to board for a 
season, about a mile north-west of N"eshaminy Meeting 
House. She soon made her home with Mrs. Green, her 
sister, but was married at the house of her brother. Dr. 
John Beatty, October 25, 1775, to Philip Y. Fithian, a 
young minister of more than usual promise, who was 
appointed a Chaplain in the army in 1776, and died of 
dysentery, brought on by exposure in camp, October 8, 
the same year. 

His widow was married March 4, 1780, to a cousin of 
her former husband, Joel Fithian, Esq., of Cumberland 
Co., N. J., where she subsequently resided ; he died in 
1821, and she survived him till 1825. They had five 
children. He was an Elder in the Presbyterian Church 
in Greenwich, and she was pious, intelligent, and exem- 
plary in all her conduct. 

Y. Martha, the fifth child of Rev. C. Beatty, was born 



NESHAMINY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. 109 

January 24, 1754. :N"othing is known particularly in 
reference to her death ; but it is supposed that she died in 
early childhood, and was buried in the churchyard, then 
used for a burying ground, near the north-west corner of 
the present meeting-house. She is the only one of Mr. 
Beatty's descendants who has been buried at Nesham- 
iny. 

VI. His sixth child, Charles Clinton Beatty, was born 
Feb. 10, 1756, and named for his father and his father's 
maternal uncle. He was two years at Princeton College, 
and graduated there in 1775. Like most of the other 
young men of the time he was warmly in favor of the 
independence of the country, and its separation from 
Eno-land. The following is an extract from a letter 
written by him, and dated January, 1774: 

' "Last week, to show our patriotism, we gathered all the steward's 
winter store of tea, and having made a fire in the campus, we there 
burnt near a dozen pounds, tolled the bell, and made many spirited 
resolves. Bvit this Avas not all. Poor Mr. Hutchinson's effigy 
shared the same fate with the tea, having a tea canister tied about 
his neck." 

The death of his father about the time of his entering 
College had a powerful effect upon his mind, and led him 
to reflection upon his need of an interest in Christ, and 
hopefully to the consecration of his heart to God. He 
had in view more or less decidedly the ministry of the 
Gospel, but the war with Gt. Britain being in progress, 
he was prompted by the ardor of youth and the love of 
liberty to enlist in the military service of his country. 
He was commissioned an officer in a Pennsylvania regi- 
ment, and went with Gen. Wayne, in the expedition to 



110 HISTORY OF 

Canada, in the early part of 1776. He was at Ticonde- 
roga in !N^ovember, when that officer, then a Colonel, had 
command of the Fortresses of Ticonderoga and Indepen- 
dence, and returned in the Spring, probably to the South. 
The following account of his death is given by Dr. C. C. 
Beatty, who says that he then had the rank of Captain. 

" When in the neighborhood of Chester, Pennsylvania, 
he met, while out in the field, a countryman who had a 
very handsome fowling piece, or rifle, which he purchased 
and brought into his quarters. While showing his pur- 
chase to his brother officers, one of them holding the 
piece, not knowing it to be loaded, presented it at Captain 
Beatty and sai(i, ' Beatty, I will shoot you,' drew the 
trigger and it went ofl:", shooting him through the heart, 
so that he instantly fell dead upon the floor. The utmost 
consternation seized upon all present, and the unfortunate 
officer, who was his most intimate friend, became frantic 
with grief and horror. But it was all over. Though 
this gentleman lived to old age, he could never hear even 
an allusion to this sad event without the most over- 
whelming emotion. This event occurred some time in 
the spring of 1777, at Moore's Tavern, in Chester County 
Yalley, and his body was interred at the burying ground 
in Old Chester. He was the favorite of the family, and 
greatly regretted by all his friends. Judge Kirkpatrick, 
of New Jersey, who was his classmate in College, said he 
was the most lovely and beloved member of the class." 

VII. The seventh child of Rev. C. Beatty was Reading 
Beatty, born December 23, 1757. It was intended by his 
father that he should receive a classical education at 
Princeton, but about the time he was to have entered 



NESHAMINY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. Ill 

College he abandoned the idea, and commenced in the 
spring of 1774 the study of medicine with his brother 
John, at Neshaminy. He was afterwards with Dr. Moses 
Scott, in New Brunswick, New Jersey, and was studying 
with him in 1775, when the war broke out between 
America and Great Britain. He was, like the rest of the 
family, warmly patriotic, as we learn from a letter he 
wrote about that time to his sister, Mrs. Green, from 
which the following is an extract : 

"Have you any Tories in your part of the country? We have 
too many of them here ; and indeed some that are w^orse than 
Tories, viz., those that when they have on their regimentals are 
pretended Whigs, but as soon as they put them off are detestable 
Tories, and are therefore hyi^ocrites. Does Mrs. Green drink tea 
yet? I hope not. If she does, and you allow her, you perhaps 
will fall under the denomination of a Tory." 

He first enlisted in the army as a private soldier, but was 
soon promoted to be a Sergeant, and then an Ensign in 
the Fifth Pennsylvania battalion, commanded by Colonel 
Robert Magaw. In 1776 he was appointed a Lieutenant, 
and in the course of the campaign, in consequence of the 
sickness of the Captain, he had command of the company. 
He was taken prisoner at the surrender of Fort Washing- 
ton, Kov. 16, 1776, as his brother John was, and at first 
was treated with severity and harshness, being deprived 
of most of his clothing, marched through the streets of 
New York, and confined on the Prison Ship Myrtle in 
the harbor. The report is that he would have been 
murdered wantonly by a Hessian soldier, if he had not 
been shielded by a British Officer. Through his brother's 
higher rank and influence he was at length allowed to 



112 HISTORY OF 

leave on parole, and stayed with him at Flatbush, Long 
Island, for some months studying medicine, though under 
many disadvantages arising from the progress of the war. 
He continued a prisoner for eighteen months, and was 
exchanged in 1778. He still gave attention to medicine, 
and was in some capacity in the Surgeon's department of 
the Federal army at Morristown in 1779, and in 1780 was 
appointed Surgeon of the 11th Pennsylvania Regiment. 
In 1781 he received a Commission from the Continental 
Congress as Surgeon of an Artillery Regiment, and served 
in this capacity till the close of the war. After the war 
he "first settled in the practice of medicine at Hartsville, 
or " Hart's Cross Roads," as it was then called, near the 
Neshaminy Church, fie was united in marriage April 
20, 1786, to Christina Wynkoop, daughter of Judge 
Henry Wynkoop, of Bucks Co., Pa., one of the Executors 
of his father's estate. Soon after this he and his wife 
removed to Erwinna, in Nockamixon Township, near the 
banks of the Delaware, but in 1788 they went to reside in 
Falls Township, near Fallsington, in the midst of Quakers. 
Here he purchased a farm and remained forty years, prac- 
ticing medicine and superintending the cultivation of his 
estate. He attended the Presbyterian Church of iTew- 
town, five miles distant, of which he and his wife were 
members, and he a ruling Elder. In 1828 he gave up the 
practice of his profession and removed to IS'ewtown, 
where he died October 29, 1831, aged nearly 74 years. 
One of his daughters, Ann, became the wife of Rev. 
Alexander Boyd, Pastor of the Presbyterian Church in 
JSTewtown. One of his sons was Charles Clinton Beatty, 
M. D., many years a resident of Abington, Montgomery 



NESHAMINY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. 113 

Co., Pa., and an Elder of the Presbyterian Church of that 
place, who died greatly beloved and respected at the 
house of his sister, Mrs. Rev. Dr. Steele, March 10, 1876, 
in the 83d year of his age. Another daughter, Mary, was 
married to Eev. Robert Steele, D.D., Pastor of the Church 
of Abington. Another son, John, resides in Doylestown, 
esteemed and honored as a man of great excellence 
of character by all who know him. Another daugh- 
ter, Sarah, was married in 1834 to Rev.Henry R. Wil- 
son, who had consecrated himself to the work of 
Foreign Missions. They soon went, under the auspices 
of the Presbyterian Church, to labor among the 
Choctaw Indians in the territory assigned to that tribe by 
the United States government, south-west of the State of 
Arkansas. Before many months had passed away she was 
attacked he the fever peculiar to a warm climate and a 
new country, and after a few weeks of severe sickness, 
attended only by her husband, she died July 15, 1835. 
She was a warm-hearted, devoted Christian, and her last 
hours were calm and peaceful, and cheered by the confi- 
dent hope that her work though short in a remote field 
was approved by her Divine Master. 

yill. The eighth child of Rev. Charles Beatty was 
Erkuries, born October 9, 1759. He was called by this 
name, because the family names had heen given to the 
older sons, and the father desired to express his sense of 
obligation to God for this new object of affection. It was 
coined by him from the Greek, E — from ; and Kurios — the 
Lord ; and variously spelled Erkurios, Erkurius, Ercurius, 
and at last Erkuries. 

His father died when he was about thirteen years of 



114 HISTORY OF 

age, and after that event he attended school among 
friends in 'New Jersey, and was preparing for the Sopho- 
more Class in Princeton College, in 1775, when the war 
with Gt. Britain comirenced. It was his desire to join 
the Federal army like his older brothers, but as he was 
only sixteen years old, his friends did not deem it best. 
His spirit is shown in the following extract from a letter 
to his oldest sister, dated Aug. 10, 1775 : 

" Dear Sister : — I exercise now almost every day, and have done 
this some months past, and have got the discipHne pretty well, and 
am ready now to stand for my country in every respect. I have 
got my uniform in a company they call the Light Infantry, which 
is a very fine cortipany, and have got gogd officers. Last Monday 
we had a review by our Colonel, and when we had all gathered 
together, Mr. Caldwell preached us a fine sermon suitable to the 
occasion." 

He first went out in a privateer ship from Elizabeth- 
town in the fall of 1775, which captured a British vessel 
and brought her into that port as a prize. Soon after he 
enlisted in his country's forces as a private soldier, being 
of large size for his age. He served in that capacity or 
as non-commissioned officer for. more than a year, when 
his brothers procured for him an Ensign's commission in 
the 4th Battalion Pennsylvania Line, Col. Cadwallader. 
During the year 1776 he was in the battle on Long 
Island, under Lord Stirling, Aug. 27th, and in the 
retreat to i^^ew York on the night of the 28th ; in the 
action at White Plains, October 28th, and as a Sergeant 
he commanded a party of soldiers who were guarding 
some, stores in a position of great danger on the !N'orth 
river, when they were attacked by the enemy and 



NESHAMINY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. 115 

narrowly escaped being made prisoners, all being killed 
or wounded but himself. He was in the battle of the 
Brandywine, Sep. 11, 1777, and in that at Germantown, 
October 4th, in which he was severely wounded, being 
shot through the thigh. He was fainting with loss of 
blood, when he was carried from the field by a horseman, 
and left at the house of a Quaker family, who were at 
first unwilling to receive him, for fear the British would 
find a wounded rebel officer in their dwelling. But 
when he returned to consciousness and informed them 
whose son he was, they took him in and sent word to his 
friends, especially a " Mr. Erwin," and they soon came 
and removed him to their home, not far from the 
" Crooked Billet," now Hatborough. Here he remained, 
and among the people of the Neshaminy Church, until 
his wound healed, when he went back to the army, then 
in winter quarters at Valley Forge. 

During the year 1778 he was in the battle of Mon- 
mouth, June 28th, and afterwards on the Hudson river. 
In April, 1779, he was in an expedition against the 
Onondaga Indians in l!^ew York, and during the summer 
he marched with the troops under Gen. Sullivan against 
the Tories and Indians, who were encamped where 
Elmira now stands. There the " battle of the Chemung" 
was fought, August 29th, in which he participated, 
returning down the Susquehanna in a fiotilla of boats to 
"Wyoming and thence to Easton, October 15th. In 1780 
he was actively engaged in various military enterprises, 
and in 1781 he was present at the capture of Yorktown 
and the surrender of Lord Cornwallis. The part of the 
army with which he was connected, was disbanded in 



116 HISTORY OF 

lifovember, 1783, when by the depreciation of the Conti- 
nental money he lost all the property he had inherited 
from his father, and was left without means, and in great 
perplexity as to what business he should engage in. He 
was in Philadelphia looking for employment in vain, 
when he concluded he might support himself by teaching 
in some place in the country. He saw a large wagon 
loading with goods in Market Street, and entered into 
conversation with the owner, who encouraged him to 
hope that he might find an opening for a school in the 
town from which he came, which was on the Susque- 
hanna, above JSTorthumberland. He made a bargain with 
the man to take himself and his baggage, and was 
making haste to get ready to go, as he was to start that 
afternoon, when he met an officer who had been with 
him in the army. He told him what he had thought of 
doing, when the officer said they needed a clerk in the 
War Office to settle up the accounts of the Pennsylvania 
Line, and "You," said he, "are the very man for the 
place. Wait, till I run around and see." The result was, 
that in about an hour he received the appointment. 
This he always regarded as a turning point in his history. 
He remained in the War Office eight months, and by his 
experience and the position he was in, he was enabled to 
secure the rank of First Lieutenant in the army, and 
went West with his corps in 1785. For several years he 
was Acting Paymaster in the Western Army, and in 
prosecution of his duties frequently visited Philadel- 
phia and New York, and conferred with the Secretary of 
War, in regard to furnishing supplies to the United 
States troops. 



NE6HAMINY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. 117 

Dr. C. C. Beatty says: 

" During a part of 1789 and 1790 he was for nearly 
two years, commandant at Post St. Vincent's, now Vin- 
•cennes, on the Wabash ; where the settlers were old 
French, not very well aftected to the Federal Govern- 
ment. He had instructions to conciliate them, and was 
remarkably successful, having great personal popularity, 
of which his son was a witness when he visited that 
community more than thirty years afterwards, the old 
French inhabitants receiving him, on his father's account, 
with great kindness. Col. Vigo embraced him in true 
French fashion, saying, 'Your father introduce me to 
<3ren. Washington, the President, the greatest honor of 
my life.' " 

Lieutenant Beatty, having previous to his taking com- 
mand at Post St. Vincent attained the rank of Captain, 
soon after coming there was promoted to that of Major 
He was paymaster in the army while here, as he had been 
before, and was careful and accurate in keeping his 
accounts. In illustration of this, his son, Dr. C. C. Beatty, 
relates the following incident which occurred when the 
latter was a young man : 

" During a missionary tour he made on the Wabash in 
1822 he was recommended to stop with Major W., the 
Collector of the Land Office of Terre Haute, then a small 
village. He called, and was received, as he thought, rather 
<!Ool ly. After supper, as they were sitting on opposite sides 
•of the fire, some reference was made by Mr. B. to his father 
£iB having been connected with the Western Army. 'What,' 
said Major W. 'are you the son of Major Beatty, who was 
Paymaster?' 'Yes.' 'Then,' said Major W., jumping up, ' I 



118 HISTORY OP 

am very glad to see you.' ' I suppose jou knew my father, 
said the young clergyman. ' Never saw him in my life/ 
was the reply, — ' but I have seen his accounts, as I waa 
Paymaster some years after, and more perfect accounts I 
never saw. And, sir, I have always had a great respect 
for him on that account. Yes, sir, I have great respect 
for Major Beatty, and if you are his son I am glad to see 
you.' Upon the strength of this he was very hospitably 
entertained whenever in Terre Haute, though the Major 
could never be got out to hear him preach, as he said he 
must stay at home to keep watch over the public money, 
while his wife could go to meeting." 

In 1793 Major Beatty resigned his office in the army, 
and the general order accepting his resignation, given by 
Gen. Wayne, speaks in flattering terms of his conduct, as 
Paymaster, officer and gentleman, and of his long service 
as " meriting the gratitude and approbation of his coun- 
try." In a private letter Gen. Wayne also expressed 
similar sentiments. 

The next year he was induced by his eldest brother, who 
resided then at Princeton, !N^. J., to purchase a farm near that 
town, which had belonged to Captain Howard, a half-pay 
officer in the British army. This officer " had resided there 
for some time previously to the Revolutionary War, and 
probably built the main part of the stone mansion house, 
which, with additions put up by Col, Beatty, is still 
standing. Capt. Howard was a decided and warm Whig, 
but almost laid up with the gout, which confined him to 
his room. His wife was of different sentiments, and he 
was often exceedingly vexed by her entertainment of 
British officers, whose conversation was very obnoxious- 



NESHAMINY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. 119 

to him ; so that he had painted in large letters over the 
mantel-piece in his room: 'iN'o Tory talk here.' This, 
though covered with whitewash, was plainly discernible 
twenty years after." Capt. Howard died during the Rev- 
olutionary War, his widow returned to England, and 
when the farm had gone to decay under tenants. Major 
Beatty bought it of the heirs, who lived in England. 

Major Beatty was elected Colonel of a regiment of 
militia in Middlesex and Somerset Counties, and bore the 
title through the remainder of his life. During the war 
of 1812 he was appointed by the Governor of the State, 
Inspector G-eneral of the Militia in service. 

In 1799 he was married to Mrs. Susanna Ferguson, 
of Philadelphia. He was for some time Justice of the 
Peace, Judge of the County Court, and for many years a 
member of the Legislature from Middlesex County, either 
in the Assembly or Council. He was warmly interested 
in the passage by the Legislature of the general School 
Law, and urged the adoption of it in private and in pub- 
lic, and had the satisfaction of seeing it go into effect the 
year in which he died. He was honored by his fellow 
citizens with many offices in civil life and in various 
societies, and was Trustee, and President of the Board of 
Trustees of the Presbyterian Church in Princeton for a 
long time. Toward the last part of his life he became a 
member in full communion of the Church, having been 
led by a severe affliction in the loss of a beloved daughter 
to dedicate himself publicly to the service of the Redeem- 
er. He moved into the centre of the town of Princeton 
in 1816, for the convenience of having his eldest son in 
College, where he died February 3, 1823. 



120 HISTORY OF 

The following inscription on his tombstone in Prince- 
ton Cemetery was written by Rev. Dr. Miller : 

IN MEMORY OF 

COLONEL ERKUKIES BEATTY, 

WHO WAS BORN 

October 9, A. D. 1759, 

And who, after Laving faithfully served his country in 
various important stations, civil and militarj^, departed 
this life in the faith and hope of the Gospel, 

February 3, A. D. 1823, 

]n the 64th year of his age. 

A firin patriot, a brave soldier, an upright legislator, an 
active and vigilant magistrate ; a public spirited and use- 
ful citizen ; an honest man ; a sincere Christian ; and in 
all the relations of domestic life, airiiable and beloved. 

One of his three children is the Rev. Charles C. Beatty, 
I). D., of Steubenville, Ohio, Moderator of the General 
Assembly of the Presbyterian Church, (0. S.) in the 
United States, 1862, and Chairman of the Joint Commit- 
tee of Thirty, of the Old and ISTew School Assemblies, 
at the Re-union, 1869. 

IX. The ninth child of Rev. C. Beatty was George, 
born June 28th, 1763, and named after the King of Eng- 
land, " whose coronation his father had witnessed in 1760. 
He w^as probably kept at school in the neighborhood of 
IlTeshaminy some years after his father's death, as would 
appear from a letter," which is still in existence, and 
which was written to his brother John, about 1775. In 
it he speaks of living at " Giles Craven's," and says, 



NESHAMINY PllESBYTERIAN CHURCH. 121 

^' Giles Craven has given me my clothes, and good part of 
my schooling," no doubt for his work as a boy on the farm. 
He was there in December, 1778, and wrote in a letter to his 
sister that he had been out in the militia for two or three 
weeks. It is said on the authority of tradition, that he 
went to sea on a " Letter of Marque Ship," and was not 
heard of for some months. He is reported to have been 
in command of a vessel in 1785, trading between ]!!^ova 
Scotia and the West Indies. After that year nothing 
more is known of him. 

X. The tenth child of Rev. C. Beatty was William 
Pitt, who was born March 31, 1766, and named for the 
eminent British statesman who rendered himself popular 
in America by opposing the oppressive measures of the 
English Government towards the Colonies. At the death 
of his father he was only six years old, and remained in 
the neighborhood of l^eshaminy, probably under the 
guardianship of Mr. Erwin, one of the executors of his 
father's estate. When fourteen or fifteen years old he 
was apprenticed to learn the trade of a tailor in Philadel- 
phia, and eight years after, in 1790, he established him- 
self in that business at 1^5'eshaminy. Being able to write 
a good hand, and being an accurate accountant, he was 
appointed in 1793 a clerk in the office of J. Nicholson, 
Comptroller of the State of Pennsylvania. He was after- 
wards clerk of the Delaware and Schuylkill Canal Co., 
and in mercantile business at Wright's Perry, on the 
Susquehanna, now Columbia. 

In 1799, ISTovember 8th, he was married by Pev. IST. 
Irwin, to Eleanor Polk of JSTeshaminy, who was the only 
child of John Polk and Rebecca Gilbert. Her father 



122 HISTORY OF 

died when she was quite young, " and her mother marry- 
ing again, to a Mr. Gilkeson, she was taken and raised by 
her maternal grandmother, Mrs. G-ilbert, with whom she 
lived till her marriage. She was born December 26, 1775, 
and died September 21, 1845. She was a Christian 
woman, a most excellent wife and mother, useful in 
society and the church." ^ In the spring of 1800 she and 
her husband, William Beatty, settled at Columbia, and 
continued to reside there " till near the close of their joint 
married life, and both are buried there." He was many 
years, at two different periods. Post Master of Columbia ; 
he was Justice of the Peace, Secretary and Treasurer of 
the Susquehanna Improvement Company, and held the 
same offices in the York and Susquehanna Turnpike Co., 
and in 1811 in the Columbia Bridge Company, and was 
Cashier of the Bank established in connection with the 
latter institution. He was at one time Chief Burgess of 
the Borough, and Treasurer of the Water Company, and 
had the oversight of the engineering and construction 
of the Turnpike between Columbia and Marietta. 

He hopefully became a Christian early in life, and 
continued interested and active in the cause of relig-ion 
until old age. When he went to Columbia there were 
but few Presbyterians in the town, but he encouraged 
them to meet for worship, and did much to keep the 
little company together, when they enjoyed occasionally 
the ministerial services of Rev. JST. Snowden, then at 
Lancaster. The church was organized in 1807, and Mr. 
Beatty was chosen and ordained a Ruling Elder. He was 
energetic in efibrts and liberal in contributions toward 



* Record of the Beatty Family. 



NESHAMINY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. 123 

the erection of a meeting-house, which was completed in 
1812. Tor a number of years they had preaching but 
part of the time, and on Sabbaths, when no minister was 
present, he frequently led the meeting, and very generally 
read the sermon from some volume of discourses. For 
more than a quarter of a century he led the singing, 
having a clear, musical voice, and was the Superintendent 
of the Sabbath School for a long period; and before 
Sabbath Schools were established he instructed tbe youth 
in catechetical classes. The last few years of his life he 
lived with some of his children in Philadelphia, where he 
died July 28, 1848, and was interred at Columbia. 
The following inscription is on his tombstone. 

IK IMEMORY OF 

WILLIA^il P. BEATTY, 

For more than thirty-six years a RuHng Elder of 
the Presbyterian Church in this place. 

Died July 28, 1848, 

Ix THE 83d year of his age. 

" He looked for a city, which hath foundations, whose 
Builder and Maker is God." Hebrews xi. 10. 

He had nine children, one of whom, George, was for a 
number of years Secretary and Treasurer of the ITorthern 
Railway of Canada ; another, William Pitt, was Collector 
and General Superintendent of the Harrisburg and 
Lancaster Eailroad in Harrisburg; another, Ann Eliza, 
became the wife of Thomas H. Pearce, who was 
connected for a considerable period of time with the 
Harrisburg and Lancaster Railroad ; another, Erkuries, 



124 . HISTORY OF 

founder and macliinist in Carlisle, was brevetted Major 
and Lieutenant Colonel "for bravery and meritorious 
services " during the late war with the Confederate 
Southern States. 

XI. The eleventh child of Rev. C. Beatty, named 
Ann, was born in Greenock, Scotland, where her mother 
was, (as before mentioned) for the benefit of her health, 
in March, 1768, and died there when but a few weeks 
old, and was buried with her mother. 

A brief account has thus been given of the children of 
Rev. Charles Beatty, and a very honorable record it is. Of 
but few families could so much be told that is praiseworthy 
and merits being perpetuated in the annals of the past. 
Four of his sons were officers in the army during our 
Revolutionary struggle with Great Britain. Of eight 
children who reached mature years, all but one were 
hopefully pious, and members of the Presbyterian Church ; 
and three, John, Reading, and William, were Ruling 
Elders. Several of his sons occupied positions of eminent 
distinction and usefulness in society and in the State. 



CHAPTER XII. 



REV. NATHANIEL IRWIN. 



After the death, in a distant island, of Rev. C. Beatty, 
]!!Teshaminy Church was destitute of a pastor about two 



NESHAMINY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. 125 

years. At length a call was given to Rev. JSTathaniel 
Irwin, May 1, 1774. Mr. Irwin was born at Fagg's Manor, 
Chester Co., Pa., October 18, 1746. He graduated at 
Princeton College, N. J., in 1770. During his college 
course, on the 24th ot June, 1769, in company with 
James Madison, the only President of the United States- 
ever graduated at that Institution ; Samuel Stanhope 
Smith, afterwards President of the College of New Jer- 
sey ; William Bradford, who became one of the Justices 
of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, and Attorney 
General of the United States under President Washing- 
ton ; General John Beatty, son of Rev. Charles Beatty,. 
and member of the Continental and Federal Congresses ; 
John Henry, Governor of Maryland, and memher of the 
House of Representatives and Senate of the United States ; 
Rev. Caleb Wallace, who was also Chief Justice of Ken- 
tucky ; Gunning Bedford, a member of the Convention 
which framed the Constitution of the United States, and 
also a Judge of the District Court of the United States ; 
Hugh H. Brackenridge, Judge of the Supreme Court of 
Pennsylvania; Philip Freneau, a patriotic poet in our 
Revolution ; and some others ; Mr. Irwin founded the 
American Whig Society, in an upper room of N^assau Hall. 
In this he was associated with those who subsequently 
became highly distinguished for talents, learning, and 
dignity of character, and who occupied the loftiest posi- 
tions in the gift of their country. ISTo doubt his inter- 
course with such minds during the years of study, in 
which he was preparing for the struggles and duties of 
mature life, tended to increase his intellectual strength 
and acuteness, which were naturally of the first order. 



126 HISTORY OF 

Either before or after his graduation he taught an 
academy at Princeton, probably after that event ; and at 
the same time pursued the study of theology. In the 
printed " Minutes of the Synod of ISTew York and l!Tew 
Jersey," it is seated, May 19, 1773, that the "Is'ew Castle 
Presbytery report, they have licensed Messrs. Samuel 
Stanhope Smith, l^athaniel Irwin, Robert Davidson, 
Samuel Dougal, and James Power ;" from which it ap- 
pears that Mr. Irwin was licensed to preach the Gospel in 
1772, or early in 1773, by the Presbytery of New Castle, 
and probably at the same meeting with President Smith, 
as they had been intimately associated during their colle- 
giate course. After his licensure he was temporarily 
preaching in some of the central portions of Pennsylva- 
nia and Virginia, which were then but thinly inhabited, 
and to a great extent a missionary field."'^ But ere long he 
was invited to come and occupy the pulpit at I^eshaminy 
as a candidate for the pastorate. He came among the 
people with little except his horse and his Bible. But 
his reputation as a student in College was of a superior 
character; he had a noble and commanding appearance, 
being tall and well formed, and of an intelligent and en- 
gaging countenance ; his preaching was ot a high order 
and delivered in an animated yet solemn manner with a 
powerful voice, and the congregation were so much 



* For this service, the Synod of New York and Philadelphia, in 
1775, ordered their Treasurer to " pay to Mr. Irwin nine pounds, 
nine shillings, and three pence, on account of his mission on the 

Western Frontiers of Pennsylvania and Virginia." This sum was 

about $25.17. 



NESHAMINY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. 127 

pleased with him, likewise, as thej met him in social inter- 
course, that he was soon invited to assume the pastoral 
charge. Though the call was made out in the Spring, he 
was not ordained until the Autamn. He took suitable 
time to consider the invitation, and having decided to 
accept it, he was set apart to the full exercise of the office 
of a Minister of the Gospel, and installed Pastor of the 
church by the First Presbytery of Philadelphia, i^ovem- 
ber 3, 1774. In the church records it is stated, " He is 
to have for a yearly support in his ministry from said 
congregation the sum of one hundred and thirty pounds, 
until said congregation provide a parsonage for Mr. Irwin, 
and after a parsonage is provided, y' sum of one hundred 
pounds yearly." The manse was not purchased during 
his pastorate, and the salary continued, as stated above, 
£130, Pennsylvania currency, or about $346, until 1798, 
when it was increased to one hundred and seventy pounds, 
or about $452. After being some years at Neshaminy, 
Mr. Irwin purchased a farm on the road from Doyles- 
town to Philadelphia, about two and a half miles from 
the church, where he resided till his death. In the year 
1809 he erected near the road, on a beautiful site, a little 
distance from the original dwelling, a mansion-house, 
which was more costly and in better style than most 
houses in the region at that day. This mansion is still 
standing, much in the same condition as when he resided 
in it ; but it was somewhat enlarged about the year 1858 
by Perry McNeille, Esq., who had removed thither from 
Philadelphia a few years previously. Its walls of finely 
finished dressed stone, which have endured without 
material change the storms of sixty -five years, show that 



128 HISTORY OF 

Mr. Irwin possessed good taste and correct views in 
regard to architecture. 

In the year 1775, soon after his ordination, the church, 
ediiice was considerably enlarged to afford room for an in- 
creasing congregation. As there was then no church at the 
place which is now Doylestown, nor for a distance of 
eight or ten miles west and south, people often came to 
Keshaminy on horseback or on foot six or seven miles. 
or more to attend worship on the Sabbath. Women 
frequently walked that distance, some with their shoes in 
their hands, and when they reached a spring near the 
meeting-house, they washed their feet, put on their shoes, 
and entered the sanctuary, unlike Moses, who put off his 
shoes when on holy ground. 

In the last part of the eighteenth century physicians 
were much less numerous than they are now, and Mr. 
Irwin often prescribed for the sick, who sought his 
advice. In a manuscript book, which contains partly his 
own individual accounts, and partly those of the corpora- 
tion of the church, we find that he has charged several 
persons at different times with " medicine,'' "a vomit," " a 
purge," "a blister plaister," ^'- dose salts," &c., which he had 
furnished them. He also wrote wills, bonds and deeds,, 
settled estates and transacted much business which is not 
usually attended to by clergymen at the present day. 
The liberally educated, and such as were familiar with, 
forms of law, were comparatively few in the commu- 
nity. The County seat was then at ITewtown, twelve 
miles distant from his home. lie was endowed with a 
strong mind, sound judgment, and much natural acute- 
ness, and was resorted to by the people of his congrega- 



NBSHAMINY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. 129 

tion, and by others, for advice and assistance in their 
pecuniary aftairs, the transfer of landed property, and the 
adjustment of difficulties. Widows and orphans found 
in him a friend and trusted counsellor. He wielded a 
powerful influence over the members of his charge, and 
throughout the whole region in which he lived. He was 
deeply interested in the welfare of his country, and took 
an open and prominent stand on the side of the liberty of 
the Colonies and their independence of Great Britain. 
The Revolutionary "War took place during the first part 
of his pastorate, when he was in the prime of his man- 
hood, and he encouraged the men of his congregation to 
enlist in the army in defence of their rights. He was 
noted for his spirited appeals in favor of liberty, and was 
the object of much hostility on the part of the British and 
the Tories. Many of the denomination of Friends of 
that period sympathized with Great Britain, or en- 
deavored to maintain an attitude of neutrality. They 
were opposed, by the principles of their Society, to all 
war, and hence stood so much aloof from efforts to aid in 
the struggle with the mother country, that they practi- 
cally, and in some cases intentionally, assisted those who 
would oppress their native land. There were a number 
of Friends' Meetings in Bucks and Montgomery Counties, 
and some of their members were inimical to Mr, Irwin on 
account of his advocacy in public and private of the 
Federal cause. Presbyterians as a body were devoted to 
the principles of civil and religious liberty, and he 
possessed their spirit in large measure. It is reported 
that on a certain Sabbath news came to the congregation, 
as they were assembling at the church for worship, that 



130 HISTORY O'F 

the British were coming, and Mr. Irwin had only time to 
give them an earnest exhortation to resist the foe to the 
full extent of their ability, and to commend them to the 
God of the afflicted and oppressed, the " God of battles," 
when he was compelled to escape on horseback for his 
life. 

The sympathy, which the ministry of the Presbyterian 
Church felt for the United Colonies in their contest with 
England, is illustrated by many facts. From which I 
mention the following : 

In May, 1775, the Synod of ISTew York and Philadel- 
phia met in the City of New York, and Mr. Irwin at- 
tended for the first time as a member, having been or- 
dained in the fall of the year before. The war for liberty 
appeared then imminent ; indeed it had already begun. 
The battles of Lexington and Concord in Massachusetts 
had taken place. The alarm had sounded throughout the 
country, and the militia had generally taken up arms. The 
Synod, " considering the present alarming state of public 
affairs," as it is said in the Records, appointed the last 
Thursday of June to be carefully and religiously observed 
by all the congregations within their bounds, as a season of 
solemn fasting, humiliation, and prayer. But as the Conti- 
nental Congress was then in session, and it was thought 
would appoint such a day, the Presbyterian churches were 
recommended to observe the day designated by Congress, if 
it was earlier than the last Thursday of June, and if later, 
they were directed to observe both. The Synod also earn- 
estly recommended all the congregations under their care 
to spend the afternoon of the last Thursday of every 
month in public solemn prayer to God during the con- 



NESHAMINY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. 131 

tinuance of the hostilities. They likewise appointed, 
early in the sessions of that meeting, a committee to pre- 
pare a Pastoral Letter to the Churches, with Dr. Wither- 
spoon as Chairman, who reported a letter, — five hundred 
copies of which were to be printed and distributed, — ex- 
pressing warm attachment to the Union of the Colonies, 
opposition to the oppressive measures of the British Min- 
istry, and a sense of dependence upon God for success, and 
urging the people to deprecate his anger by repentance for 
all public and private sins, and to fly to him as their 
refuge by humble faith. They declared likewise their 
allegiance to King George, their attachment to the prin- 
ciples by which his family was seated on the throne, and 
their desire for reconciliation with him, if their rights 
could be preserved. This was more than a year previous 
to the Declaration of Independence, and the war was 
begun with the idea entertained by most, that it should 
be carried on not for separation from Britain, but for the 
defence of Colonial rights. From the sentiments of re- 
spect and aiiection for the royal family of England con- 
tained in the Pastoral, Rev. Jeremiah Halsey stands alone 
on the Records, as the only one who dissented. 

In 1776 the Continental Congress having appointed the 
17th of May, as a day of fasting and prayer, in reference 
to the war, some of the members of Synod applied to 
the Moderator to publish a notice postponing the regular 
meeting of Synod one week, that all the ministers might 
unite with their people in observing the day. The post- 
ponement was accordingly made, with the subsequent ap- 
probation of the Synod. 

In all the resolutions and measures adopted by the 



132 HISTORY OF 

Synod to express its cordial sympathy with the Congress 
of the Union in efforts to secure independence, Mr. Irwin 
fully sympathized, and his prayers often ascended on high, 
that a successful and speedy termination of the arduous 
struggle might be granted. 

Young men went forth from his congregation to join 
the army of freedom, and he always gave them his warm 
approbation and parting blessing. He rejoiced when vic- 
tory perched upon the banners of his countrymen, and 
lamented when they met with disaster. 

One of the ISTeshaminy congregation, who no doubt was 
encouraged in his efforts in behalf of the liberties of 
America by Mr. Irwin, was Capt. Henry Darrah. He 
was the great-grandfather of R. H. Darrah, now Elder of 
the church, and resided, during the Revolution, in 
ISTew Britain Township, at present a part of "Warrington. 
He was appointed Captain of a company of Infantry in 
the Fourth Battalion of Militia in Bucks Co. As a 
specimen of similar papers, which were issued at that 
time, we copy from the original document in the hands of 
E,. H. Darrah, his commission, sent him less than a year 
after the Declaration of Independence. 

In the Name and by the Authority of the Freemen of the 
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. 

The Supreme Executive Council of the said Commonwealth to- 
Henry Duroh, Esq. 

We reposing especial Trust and Confidence in your Patriotism, 
Valour, Conduct, and Fidelity, DO, by these presents, constitute 
and appoint you to be a Captian of a Company of Foot in the 
Fourth Battalion of Militia in the County of Bucks. You are 
therefore carefully and diligently to discharge the duty of Captaini 
by doing and performing all manner of things thereunto belonging.. 



NESHAMINY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. 133 

And we do strictly charge and require all Officers and Soldiers 
under your command to be obedient to your orders as Captain. 
And you are to observe and follow such Orders and Directions as 
you shall from Time to Time receive from the Supreme Executive 
Council of this Commonwealth, or from your Superior Officers, ac- 
cording to the Eules and Discipline of War, and in pursuance of 
the Acts of Assembly of this State. This Commission to continue 
in Force, until your Term, by the Laws of this State, shall of Course 
exjiire. 

Given under the lesser Seal of the Commonwealth, at Philadel- 
phia, this Sixth Day of May, in the Year of our Lord, One Thous- 
and, Seven Hundred and Seventy Seven. 

No. 7 THOMAS WHAETON, Jr., 

Attest— T. Matlack, President. 

Secretary. 

The following is a Warrant to Capt. H. Darrah to 
search houses for suspected persons during the Revo- 
lution. 

(Copied from the original paper.) 

Bucks Co., 22d February, 1778. 

As I apprehend the enemy would not have been so daring and 
presumptions, as to come into the heart of this County, as they 
lately have done, if some of our internal enemies, which are most 
to be guarded against, had not wickedly encouraged them so to do, 
therefore I desire you will collect together as many of the good 
associators of your company as you can, and make a general 
search in every house in your Township, and take up every stran- 
ger you meet with, that cannot produce a Certificate of his having 
taken the Test to the United States of America agreeable to a Law 
of this State. — Farther, you are to disarm all such j^ersons within 
your Township, who have not taken the Test as above, for which 
this shall be your sufficient Authority. (Signed) 

JOHN GILL, 

To Capt. H. Durroch. Superintendent "Bucks Co. 



134 HISTORY OF 

The following is copied from the original paper written 
by Colonel Hugh Tomb at Crayle's Ferry, which was on 
the Schuylkill, probably not far from Norristown. It 
was a summons for Capt. Darrah's Company to meet the 
British. 

Sir : — By general orders you are desired to call your com- 
pany immediately and march them here, as the enemy is on their 

march for this place. 

HUGH TOMB, Colonel. 
Crayle Ferry, June 14, 1777. 

This Company seem to have been, if not in name, yet 
really, " Minute Men," prepared to respond to the call of 
liberty to go against the foe at any time. 

The following is an Order for Salt during the Eevolu- 
tion. The original paper is in the hands of E.. H. Darrah. 

Gentlemen, 18th December, 1776. 

I do hereby certifie, that Capt. Koberts, belonging to 
my battalion hath Twenty Three men now under the command of 
Gen'l Washington, Officers included, who are desirous of their 
Quotoes of salt. 

The Bearers hereof, John Torrance and David Cald- 
well, or either of them, are appointed by the Company to receive 
the same. I am, Gentlemen, 

Your most obedient, humble Servant, 

To the Council of Safety _ ] JOSEPH HART, Colonel, 

for the State of Pennsylvania, j 

The Captain Eoberts referred to in this Order or Certi- 
ficate was Capt. William Eoberts, afterwards promoted to 
be Colonel of the Battalion in which Capt. Darrah's 
Company was. 

The following is a copy of a request to be excused from 
attending the drill or muster, which was not an idle 



NESHAMINY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. 135 

ceremony or amusement, but was with reference to being 
prepared to meet the foe, in the field of strife, whenever 
called upon. The note fixes the date of the burial of an 
eminent citizen of New Britain. 

Mr. Dareah : — These are to inform you, that I Cannot be 
with you to Day, as Old Mr. Shewel is to Be Buried to Day, and I 
Must attend there. Therefore I Desire you would Excuse me, and 
in so doing you will much oblige, Your humble Servant, 

JEREMIAH VASTINE. 

October 25, 1779. 

A copy of the Certificate given to Capt. Darrah on 
•taking the oath of Allegiance to the State of Pennsyl- 
vania : 

I do hereby certify, that Capt. Henry Darroch of the 
Township of New Britain, in the County of Bucks, farmer, hath 
voluntarily taken and subscribed the Oath of Allegiance and Fidel- 
ity, as directed by an Act of General Assembly of Pennsylvania, 
passed the 13th Day of June, A. D. 1777. 
Witness my hand and seal the Second Day of July, A. D. 1777. 

JOHN DAVIS. 

No. 28. 
Printed by John Dunlap. 



136 HISTORY OF 



CHAPTER XIII. 



REV. N. IRWIN. JOHN FITCH. 



Mr. Irwin possessed a natural fondness for mechanical 
pursuits, and the invention of contrivances in machinery 
for the diminution of labor. John Fitch, the inventor of 
the application of steam to boats and vessels, was for 
several years a resident of Warminster Township, Bucks 
Co., Pa., and frequently, if not regularly, attended public 
worship at !N^eshaminy Church. Pie was born in Wind- 
sor, near Hartford, Connecticut, January 21, 1743, Old 
Style, and came to Pennsylvania about the beginning of 
the year 1777. He served an apprenticeship with a 
watchmaker when a boy, but was kept at work on the 
farm of his master most of the time and learned very 
little of the art he desired to acquire. He gained, how- 
ever, some skill as a silversmith, and previous to his 
coming to Bucks Co., he worked in Trenton, I^^ew Jersey, 
some months, making silver buttons for the officers and 
soldiers of the Continental Armj^. He was an officer in a 
volunteer company, but being unjustly deprived of 
promotion, to which he was entitled, he resigned his 
place in the army, and when the British occupied that 
part of 'New Jersey, he, with many other active patriots, 
fled to Pennsylvania. Fitch first found a home with 
John Mitchell at Four Lanes End, but soon removed to 



NESHAMINY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. 137 

Charles Garrison's in Warminster Township, and after a 
time set up his trade in a wheelwright shop belonging 
to James Scout, commonly called " Cobe " (Jacobus) 
" Scout." The British, who were in possession of Philadel- 
phia at the time, advancing into his neighborhood, 
obliged him to flee again. He buried his silver and gold 
in a retired situation on Garrison's farm, where he 
supposed it would be safe ; but as he did it at night by 
the light of a lantern, he was observed. He engaged for 
some months in supplying the soldiers of the Federal 
army with beer, and when he returned to Warminster to 
seek his buried treasure he discovered to his surprise and 
dismay that it had disappeared. It had been taken out 
of the ground by one of Mr. Garrison's negroes, who sold 
it to a young white man of the neighborhood. Fitch 
resolved to get his property back, if possible, and to 
punish the ofi:'ender. Accordingly he proceeded to 
Spring Mill to obtain a warrant for the young man's 
arrest, and walked the whole distance to and from his 
home, forty miles, in one day before sunset. Finally the 
father of the young man i3aid the claim in Continental 
money ; but Fitch met with a considerable loss by the 
transaction. When he left Valley Foi'ge, where he had 
been trading with the soldiers and furnishing them with 
beer, he had forty thousand dollars in currency, which 
was worth at that time a thousand dollars, but it o-radu- 
ally depreciated in value so much that it was worth only 
one hundred dollars in the course of a year. 

To prevent it from becoming utterly worthless he de- 
termined to invest it in laud warrants in Virginia, and 
to locate them in the unknown region of Kentuck}^ He 



138 HISTORY OF 

obtained a commission at Richmond as Deputy Surveyor, 
and went westward to Wheeling, through what was then 
a wild, unsettled country. But as he and a considerable 
company of adventurers were going down the Ohio in 
eleven boats, they were attacked by Indians, and several 
persons on board were severely wounded, but none were 
killed. They at length arrived in Kentucky ; large 
tracts of land were surveyed ; and Fitch located for his 
own benejBt aboat sixteen hundred acres, for which he 
obtained patents. He returned to Bucks Co. with the 
intention of selling out all his property there, and 
going back to the new country, where his land was, and 
purchasing more, with the idea that he might thus lay 
the foundation of a large fortune. But on his second 
voyage down the Ohio river, he was captured by Indians, 
carried into Canada as a prisoner, given up to the British, 
and after being many times in imminent danger of his life 
and meeting with not a few hair-breadth escapes, he was 
exchanged after a captivity of about eight months, and 
reached Bucks Co. once more, in January, 1783, having 
been gone almost a year. Though he was not successful 
in reaching Kentucky on this last expedition, yet he still 
cherished the hope that he might realize a large sum of 
money by locating and purchasing lands there. "With 
this in view he proposed to some influential men to form 
a company, whose object it should be to survey lands, and 
learn the position of the most desirable of them, that 
they might purchase intelligently from the government, 
when Land Oflices were opened. The company was soon 
formed, and consisted of Dr. John Ewing, Rev. Nathaniel 
Irwin, William C. Houston, Jonathan Dickinson Sergeant, 



NESHAMINY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. 139 

Stacy Potts, of Trenton, atid Col. Joshua Anderson, of 
Bucks Co. Each one of these gentlemen contributed 
twenty pounds ($53.33) to a fund toward defraying the 
expenses of the expedition. The surveying party, whom 
Col. Anderson accompanied, surveyed in the course of the 
summer between eighty and ninety thousand acres of 
land, and the next year the shareholders induced Fitch to 
go out to the same region again and superintend another 
survey. In this trip he and his assistants surveyed two 
hundred and fifty thousand acres. But their eiforts were 
almost without advantage to them or their patrons ; for 
Congress about this time decided, that all the territory 
west of the Ohio river should be divided into States, and 
laid out at right angles in sections of one mile square, an 
entirely diflerent plan from that on which Fitch and his 
associates had acted, and which rendered their surveys 
comparatively worthless. 

Fitch applied to Congress for an appointment as gov- 
ernment surveyor, but did not succeed in getting it, 
though he published a rough yet accurate map of the 
I^orth-western country, showing his knowledge of that 
vast and princely domain, parts of which he had thorough- 
ly explored. 

In April, 1785, John Fitch was walking, on Sunday, in 
what was then and is still called the " Street Road," near 
IJ^eshaminy, in company with an acquaintance, James 
Ogilbee. He had been to a religious meeting where Rev. 
l!T. Irwin preached. He was not able to walk at that time 
rapidly, in consequence of the rheumatism, which had come 
upon him in the course of his surveying expeditions in 
the West. As he was going along slowly, engaged in 



140 HISTORY OF 

conversation with his friend, a gentleman by the name of 
Sinton and his wife passed them, riding rapidly in a 
" chair " or two-wheeled chaise, drawn by a noble horse. 
Ogilbee said something, but Fitch did not appear to listen 
to it. He became abstracted and buried in thought, and, 
as he afterwards said, it was then that the idea of pro- 
pelling carriages and vessels by some other power than 
that of horses presented itself to his mind. The thought 
occurred to him, that it might be possible to invent some 
vehicle, by which those might pass rapidly over the 
ground who could not keep a horse, and that steam might 
be used as the propelling power; that a steam engine 
might be invented for moving carriages. At this time he 
states that he did not know that a steam engine was in 
existence. With this idea before him he went home and 
labored for about a week to discover some method by 
which carriages might be run by steam ; but was discour- 
aged in this scheme by the roughness of the common 
roads, as the plan of railroads had not occurred to him. 
"James Scout, under date of April 15, 1788, certifies, 
that Fitch told him, that while walking with Ogilbee he 
first thought of a steamboat in conseq^uence of Sinton's 
passing liim rapidly; and that in May or June lollowing, 
Fitch showed him (Scout) a plan of the boat on paper. "'^ 
As he could not overcome the difliculties in the way of 
propelling carriages on land by steam, he endeavored to 
<}ontrive some machinery by which boats could be moved 
on the water. In the course of two or three weeks he 
had arranged drawings of his plan, and took them to 
Sev. Mr. Irwin, to consult with him. Mr. Irwin had 

* Life of John Fitch, by Westcott, p. 120. 



I 



NESHAMINY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. 141 

among his books a copy of " Martin's Philosophy," which 
contained descriptions of several different steam engines 
on the old-fashioned atmospheric plan. He showed these 
to Fitch, and the latter said afterwards, that he was very 
much chagrined to find that an engine had been discov- 
ered before his ; as he was not aware that steam had ever 
been used for propelling machinery. But he was rather 
encouraged after a little consideration, being sure now, 
that if he could adapt the mechanism by oars, or paddles, 
or wheels, to boats, he might succeed in his undertaking. 
Daniel Longstreth in an article published in the Bucks 
Co. Intelligencer., entitled, "John Fitch, of Steamboat 
memory," says, 

"It was in this log shop, [Cobe Scout's] that Fitch 
made his model steamboat with paddle wheels, as they 
are now used. The model was tried on a small stream on 
Joseph Longstreth's meadow about half a mile from 
Davisville, in Southampton Township, and it realized 
every expectation. The machinery was made of brass 
with the exception of the paddle wheels, which were made 
of wood by Kathaniel B. Boileau, whilst on a visit dur- 
ing a vacation from Princeton College."* 



* It is said in the Life of John Fitch, in a note to p. 123, " Daniel 
Longstreth deserves honor for his efforts to impress upon his coun- 
trymen the just merits of John Fitch. He was the first person 
who, after the circumstances attending the original steamboat ex- 
periments were generally forgotten, attempted to interest the world 
in the history of this neglected man. His father, Daniel Long- 
streth, of Bucks County, had been the friend and associate of Fitch, 
and from his lips young Longstreth had often heard the story of 



142 HISTORY OF 

After spending a considerable period of time in perfect- 
ing the machinery of his steam engine, Fitch determined 
to apply for pecuniary aid to Congress. He obtained 
letters of recommendation from Dr. John Ewing, Provost 
of the University of Pennsylvania, William C. Houston, 
formerly a member of Congress, Lambert Cadwallader, 
Delegate from 'New Jersey, and Dr. Samuel Stanhope 
Smith, President of the College at Princeton, and with 
these to support his petition, he asked Congress for 
assistance in building a boat, to be propelled by steam. 
A Committee was appointed, consisting of Messrs. Read 
and King of Massachusetts, and Mr. Henry of Maryland, 
to consider the- application, but the Committee made no 
report, apparently deeming the matter of too little 
moment to deserve action, or being uncertain whether the 



the neglected genius, of whom he also had some memory among 
the recollections of his boyhood." 

"The Hon. Nathaniel B. Boileau's father was Isaac Boileau, 
who came from Long Island, and settled in Moreland, Montgomery 
County, Pennsylvania, about 1750. He was descended from ances- 
tors driven from France by the repeal of the edict of Nantes. 
Nathaniel was born on his father's plantation, near Hatborough, in 
1762, and graduated at Princeton College. For twelve years he 
was an active member of the State Legislature. In 1808 he was 
app)ointed Secretary of State by Gov. Snyder, and continued in that 
office the entire period of three terms. In 1835 Gov. Eitner ap- 
pointed him Register of Wills for Montgomery County, which was 
the last office he held, and from 1839 to 1849 he lived in retire- 
m.ent on his farm in the lower end of Hatborough, adjoining the 
Academy. In 1819 he removed to Abington, where he died the 
16th of March, 1850, at the advanced age of 88 years, in the midst 
of a warm circle of friends." 



NESHAMINY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. 143 

invention was practicable. Fitch was severely disap- 
pointed that his application met with such poor success, 
and proposed to the Ambassador of the King of Spain, 
that his Sovereign should be solicited to afford his aid. 
The minister listened to his statements with interest, but 
as a condition of rendering any assistance, wished that 
the profit of the invention should accrue to his royal 
master. Fitch desired that his own country should have 
the honor, and that the advantage of it should be for all 
mankind. On this account the proposal was declined by 
the Ambassador, which Fitch afterwards deeply regretted, 
and reproached himself with folly in preferring the glory 
of his native land and the welfare of the race, to his own 
support. He found so little encouragement in ^ew 
York, where Congress met, that he returned to Bucks Co. 
in great dejection, and still he determined to persevere in 
his efforts to bring his invention into practical use. 

He visited Dr. Benjamin Franklin and Gen. Washing- 
ton, and received some encouragement in his project from 
both. He presented petitions to the Legislatures of 
Virginia, Maryland, 'New Jersey and Pennsylvania, 
asking aid from them in building a vessel to be moved by 
steam, with paddles or wheels, or some other contrivance 
by which the powder might be applied. But the bills 
presented before these bodies for this purpose failed, and 
he was almost overwhelmed w^ith chagrin and regret. 

At length he went to Philadelphia, and a second time 
presented a petition to the Assembly of Pennsylvania, 
supported by certifi.cates signed by E.ev. Nathaniel Irwin, 
Abraham Lukens, Seneca Lukens, Daniel Longstreth, 
James Scout, and John Folwell, of Bucks Co., to the 



144 HISTORY OF 

effect that as early as June, 1785, "he had told them that 
he had invented a machine for working a boat by steam, 
and had shown them drafts of it." A Committee was 
appointed by the Legislature to examine and report upon 
the matter, and their report was favorable, but action upon 
it was postponed to the next Session. Meantime a 
company was formed, by whose su^bscriptions a small boat 
might be built, which was soon completed, and moved 
successfully upon the Delaware river. Then a request 
was sent to the Pennsylvania Legislature for a loan of 
money to aid in building a larger boat, but the request 
was not granted. Application was now made by Fitch 
to the Legislatures of Delaware and Il^ew York for the 
exclusive right to use steam in the navigation of vessels 
for fourteen years and this petition was granted. A 
larger boat was built and performed a trip to Burlington 
in 1788, but when opposite the town, before reaching the 
wharf, the pipe-boiler sprung a leak, the machinery would 
not work, and they came to anchor in the middle of the 
stream. Fitch and his companions went back to Phila- 
delphia with the tide and by the use of oars,; they soon 
repaired the injury to the boiler, and the vessel after- 
wards made several trips to Burlington, one with thirty 
passengers on board, the distance of twenty miles in three 
hours and ten minutes, with a tide that set at the rate of 
two miles an hour. Fitch, in common with many 
inventors, encountered great obstacles in getting his 
idea realized and practically applied, from want of funds, 
jealousy and hostility on the part of owners of vessels, and 
the incredulity of members of Congress and the Legisla- 
tures of different States to whom he applied for pecuniary 



NESUAMINY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. 145 

assistance. His perseverance, however, never flagged, 
until he had thoroughly demonstrated the fact that steam 
might he employed in the propulsion of boats, and had 
successfully accomplished several voyages against wind 
and tide. Steam had been applied to machinery before 
his time, but he was the first to conceive and carry out 
the idea of using it as a power to propel boats ; and for 
this deserves higher commendation from posterity than 
he has usually received. He was a singularly unfortunate 
man. Disappointments and vexatious reverses attended 
him through almost all his life ; but he bore them with 
fortitude, and pressed on towards the object he had in 
view through them all. His plans and enterprises were 
often in advance of his age, and years after they had been 
suggested and urged by him, and ridiculed and scorned 
as impracticable and visionary by his countrymen, they 
were found to be not only possible, but eminently impor- 
tant and valuable. In his efforts to apply steam to 
navigation and to get boats built upon his model, he was 
indebted to Rev. N. Irwin, of IS'eshaminy, for advice, 
friendly counsel, co-operation, and pecuniary assistance. 
Mr. Irwin was one of the first persons to whom he spoke 
of his newly conceived project and showed his drav.dngs, 
and from him he received, not cold indifference or dis- 
dain, but suggestions, needed information, and aid. 

Fitch wrote his own "Autobiography," and dedicated 
it to Mr. Irwin, for whom he entertained the highest 
esteem and veneration. In the " Life of John Fitch " by 
Westcott, are these words, 

" Yery much of the story of the life of John Fitch was 
written by himself, in compliance with the desire of his 



146 HISTORY OF 

friend, the Rev. Nathaniel Irwin, of Bucks Co., Pennsyl- 
vania, who during the course of an acquaintance extend- 
ing through several years, had always taken an interest in 
the fortunes of the ingenious and struggling enthusiast. 
In the first page of his written autobiography, Fitch testi- 
fies his attachment to Mr. Irwin in the following quaint 
manner. 

' To the Worthy Nathaniel Irwine, of Neshaminey ; Sir, — 
' Was I a Bigott in your Beliefs and doctrines, which you so zeal- 
ously, and with the greatest ingenuity that I ever heard from a 
pulpit, weekly support, I should think, that the word Reverend 
would bearly do you justice, and for fear, if I used that word, it 
might be imputed to the function of a Christian preacher, I omited 
it ; but. Sir, you may be assured, that I rever you more than any 
man, but not because you are a Christian Preacher, but because I 
esteem you one of the most valuable citizens of Pennsylvania, and 
have frequently felt a secret Pain, that such an exalted genius 
should be confined to the pitiful business of Neshaminey Congre- 
gation, whilst many of the best offices of Government are filled by 
those much less deserving. The last conference I had with you. 
Sir, you requested a detail of my life. I, Sir, would not have 
gratified, even Mr. Irwin himself, in this, were it not for several 
reasons ; the first is, I have already made myself so noticed, that I 
can never in future conceal myself; and knowing. Sir, that there 
is every malignant disposition, as well as friends, to laudable en- 
deavors ; and the curious of this world will hardly be satisfied with- 
out some story to tell, if they have to frame stories out of their own 
brain respecting me ; but a principle reason is this : — my life. Sir, 
has been filled with such a variety of Changes, which will afFoi'd 
such useful lessons to mankind, I think I should hardly do my 
duty which I owe to my fellow men, was I to suppress it.' " 

Fitch never realized much pecuniary benefit from the 
invention which he toiled so long and with so much 



NESHAMINY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. 147 

ardor to bring to perfection. Though the company, 
which he succeeded in forming, built a boat, which ran 
regularly up and down the Delaware, north and south 
from Philadelphia, from June to September, 1790, yet it 
required occasional repairs ; the machinery was not per- 
fect, the working of it was expensive, and the next year 
it was determined, if the necessary funds could be ob- 
tained, to build another. This was undertaken, but after 
some instalments assessed upon the members had been paid, 
a part were unwilling to pay further toward an enterprise 
which continually required expenditure, as it seemed to 
them, and brought them no return. The new boat, the 
" Perseverance," as it was significantly called, was finally 
abandoned for want of means to finish it, though every 
effort possible had been made by Pitch to secure what he 
needed. He was disheartened and in despair, though he 
never gave up the conviction, that the results of his work 
would at a future day be of vast utility to mankind. 

After visiting Prance with a view of obtaining aid in 
the execution of his plan there, and meeting with but 
indifierent success, he returned to America, remained for 
a time in Connecticut, and then went to Kentucky. Here 
he was taken sick ; he was poor, and almost friendless. 
Disappointment seemed to follow him like his shadow ; 
and he determined to take his own life. By omitting to 
take the anodynes which were prescribed for him by a 
physician, he saved a number of opium pills, which he 
swallowed all at once, and which threw him into a sleep 
that ended in death. This occurred at Bardstown, Ken- 
tucky, about the 1st of July, 1798. His troubles led him 
into intemperance towards the last part of his life, which 



148 HISTORY OF 

made him still more wretched, and hastened his steps to 
the grave of the suicide. He was buried in the public 
burying ground at Bardstown, and his grave is marked 
by a large rough stone without an inscription, placed over 
it within a few years past to identify the spot. 



CHAPTER XIV. 



REV. N. IRWIN S PASTORATE. 



The change in the size and appearance of the church 
building, which was made in 1775, and which has already 
been alluded to, was so great, that it might not improper- 
ly be called a new edifice, and this epithet is often applied 
to it in the records of the Corporation. It was not en- 
tirely finished for several years. In 1784 John Kerr was 
directed by the Trustees to " paint the pillars of the 
gallery, that have not been painted, and bring in his bill." 
In 1787, at a meeting of the congregation, it was resolved 
" to take some steps toward finishing the church ;" and 
to carry out this resolution they very appropriately de- 
termined, that some " stove steps " should be procured for 
the doors of the church, and that the pews, which were 
destitute of doors, should be supplied with them. ISTo 
doubt some of the dressed stone steps, which were then 
obtained, are in front of the meeting-house at the present 
time. 



!25 



a 

Q 




NB3UAMINY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. 149 

111 the erection of the house of worship, William Kerr 
and John Crawford were the contractors or master-me- 
chanics acting for the congregation. Ten years passed 
before their bills for labor and expenses were all finally 
adjusted. In 1784 William Kerr requested the Trustees 
" to settle his accounts respecting the building of this 
church, and intimated his willingness to submit every- 
thing to the judgment of impartial men indifi'erently 
chosen." The Board voted to submit the matter accord- 
ingly to arbitrators, if the congregation upon being con- 
sulted should prove willing. For a time the people were 
indisposed to adopt this arrangement. But in 1785 Ben- 
jamin Snodgrass, John Kerr, and Joseph Hart, deeming 
it very important, that a matter so long in dispute should 
be amicably concluded, at the suggestion of the Trustees, 
assumed the responsibility of acting for the congregation 
in the choice of arbitrators, and the reference of it to 
them. Daniel Longstreth, Robert Loller, and William 
Hart, all citizens of eminence in the region, were selected 
as umpires, but when the case was brought before them, 
Mr. Longstreth was absent. Mr. Loller and Mr. Hart 
met, April 26, 1785, heard all the parties in attendance, 
examined all the papers brought forward, and thoroughly 
investigated the particulars which had caused misunder- 
standing. After which they made up their report, which 
was subsequently presented to the Board, and adopted, 
and is as follows : [The preamble is omitted] 

That in our opinion the sum of six hundred and eighty-one 
pounds, seventeen shilHngs, and six pence, said to have been re- 
ceived by said superintendents, was a sum fully sufficient, if not 
more than sufficient, to defray all reasonable expences which said 



150 HISTORY OF 

superintendents were charged with on account of said building ; 
but who received too little of said sum, or who too much, accord- 
ing to their respective disbursements, we for want of proper 
vouchers do not nor cannot undertake to determine ; but would beg 
leave to recommend to the parties, as brethren and members of ye 
same society to think and judge charitably of each other, and for 
ye future to endeavor to cultivate Harmony and Unity, without 
which no society can subsist with any degree of comfort or happi- 
ness, and in testimony of our wishes for the peace and prosperity 
of said congregation we have hereunto set our hands this 26th of 

April, A. D., 1785. 

EGBERT LOLLER, 

WILLIAM HART. 



Amount of the Subscription paper. 
Said to be outstanding, - 

The sum said to have been received. 
Estimate of known expences laid out. 

Balance in hands of Contractors, - 



From which it appears, that the cost of rebuilding the 
church at this time was about 680 pounds, or $1808.80. 

In 1785 Richard Walker reported to the Trustees, that 
he had received from Eev. George Duffield of Philadel- 
phia, four pounds, ($10.66) being the annuity for two 
years due to the church from the estate of John G-ray, 
deceased. This Mr. Gray may have been a son of El- 
der John Gray, who died in 1749. The son perhaps 
removed to Philadelphia, and attended the church of 
which Mr. Duffield was Pastor, and having died there he 
left an annuity to the church at l^eshaminy, which passed 
through Mr. Diiffield's hands. 



£. 


s. d. 


731 


19 


50 


1 6 


681 17 6 


526 


15 1 


155 


2 5 



NBSUAMINT PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. 151 

During the last century the church had for a consider- 
able period a fund for the support of the poor belonging 
to it, some or all of which was invested in United States 
Stock. The following is a copy of one of the Bonds 
owned by the church either for this purpose or the support 
of the Pastor. 

Loan Office Certificates. 
400 DOLLAES. ' Numb. 1949. 

The United States of America acknowledge the receipt of 
Four Hundred Dollars from Eichard Walker and William Eamsey, 
which they promise to pay to the said Eichard Walker and Wil- 
liam Eamsey, or Bearer, the Twenty Fourth Day of January, 1781, 
with interest annually at the rate of six per cent, per annum, agre- 
able to a resolution of the United States, passed the Twenty Second 
Day of February, 1777. 

Witness my hand this Twenty Fourth Day of January, Anno 
Domini, 1778. 

SAMUEL HILLEGAS. 
f Countersigned, 
[ Thomas Sjiith, C. L. O. 

The Corporation held several bonds of this description ; 
two for two thousand dollars each, one for one thousand, 
and one for three thousand ; one for five hundred, and 
three for four hundred each ; in all for nine thousand 
seven hundred dollars. But it is probable all these bonds 
were not owned by the church at one time. Several of 
them are signed by Francis Hopkinson as Treasurer of 
Loans, one of the Signers of the Declaration of Independ- 
ence. 

The i^eshaminy Church has always been careful to pro- 
vide for its poor members who, by misfortune, old age, or 
sickness, were not able to support themselves, and durino- 



152 HISTORY OF 

the pastorate of Mr. Irwin this disposition was mani- 
fested for a long term of years at much expense. 

At a meeting of the congregation, held September 28, 
1789, the subject of the Psalmody proper to be used in 
public worship was discussed, and not being able to come 
to any conclusion then, they adjourned for ten days, that 
they might at the end of that time decide whether the 
" new mode of singing should be introduced in part." 
What this " new mode of singing " was, we are not in- 
formed in the Records ; nor whether it was finally adopt- 
ed ; but there was then no doubt dissatisfaction on the 
part of many with the old and rade version of the Psalms, 
and they were anxious to have something m its stead 
that would express their devotional feelings in a better 
manner. 

In 1791 the grave-yard wall was repaired in part, and 
nine pounds, ten shillings ($25.33) were allowed by the 
Corporation to Robert Wallace for the work which he 
had already done upon it, and the next year the repairs 
on the north-west side of the grave-yard were completed. 

In 1792 the old church, in which Rev. Wm. Tennent 
preached previously to the division of the congregation 
into the ^ Old " and " New Side," and which was occu- 
pied by Rev. Francis McHenry and the " Old Side " 
party after the division, was still standing in the present 
grave-yard. After the death of Mr. McHenry, in 1757, 
the building was probably used for worship and the pul- 
pit furnished with supplies by the Old Presbytery of 
Philadelphia, for but a brief period only. The year after 
Mr. McHenry's death, 1758, the two Synods, New York 
(New Side), and Philadelphia (Old Side), were re-united, 



NESHAMINY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. 153 

constituting the Synod of 'New York and Philadelphia. 
IS'eshaminy Church, under the pastoral care of Mr. Beatty, 
was attached to the Presbytery of Philadelphia, the Pres- 
bytery of Abington being dissolved. Mr. McHenry's 
church was no doubt soon disbanded and absorbed by Mr. 
Beatty's flock, and during thirty or thirty-flve years after, 
the old meeting-house was allowed to go to decay. But 
in 1792, the congregation having been consulted by the 
Trustees, it was ag-reed that the buildino; should be torn 
down and the material used, so far as necessary, in repair- 
ing the grave-yard wall. A stone, with the date " 1727 " 
and the initials W. M. and W. G., which had been in the 
old Church, was placed in the grave-yard wall, and when 
this was taken down in 1851, the stone was placed in the 
new wall near the gate at the Bristol road, where it still 
remains. "The Old Church," erected in 1727, was in all 
probability the first meeting-house built for the congrega- 
tion, and the stone above referred to is the only known 
relic of the walls of that building. 

]S"ot long after the close of the Revolutionary War, the 
paper money which was issued by the authority of the 
Continental Congress, became greatly depreciated through 
the inability of the Confederation to redeem it in 
specie, and the finances of N^eshaminy Church suffered 
considerably in consequence. As an illustration of this 
it is stated in the Records of the Corporation of the 
Church, that in 1788 William Long received on behalf of 
the Congregation twenty pounds and eleven shillings in 
" paper money," which he was willing to take at the rate 
of twenty-six shillings to the pound, and his proposal was 
accepted. This was a loss of thirty per cent., nearly one- 



154 HISTORY OF 

third. I^^o doubt in the payment of pew rents by the 
seat holders the church treasury was often the loser in 
those days to a greater extent than this. 

In 1792 James McMinn was paid lis. and 3d., or $1.50, 
for transcribing the records of the Corporation, which had 
been previously on loose sheets, or in an unsuitable book, 
into the book probably in which they are now found, and 
which is still in an excellent state of preservation. 

The same year (1792) the Trustees appointed Rev. 'N. 
Irwin, John Horner, and Samuel Polk a committee to 
procure and plant at least twenty-five trees, of the button- 
wood, willow and other varieties, on the lot surrounding 
the church. This shows that the Pastor and his people 
had at that early day a taste for the ornamental and beau- 
tiful, as well as useful, around the sanctuary. It is doubtful, 
whether any of the trees then planted are still standing ; the 
oaks, which throw their far reaching branches over the 
yard, being of more ancient date, and the ash trees near 
the church on the south side and west end having been 
planted under the superintendence of Rev. R. B. Belville. 
The pine trees along the fence, near the creek, were 
planted by Rev. James A. Darrah and Rev. D. K. Turner, 
in 1848, and the soft maples on the north side of the 
church by Courtland Carr, about the year 1865. 

In 1793 the seats, which had been recently repaired, 
were let at the rate of 8s. 6d., about $1.14 per sitting, and 
five sittings were allowed for each pew, making the rent 
of the pew in those days, $5.70, about one-quarter what 
similar pews are rented for now. 

At that time the Lord's Supper was celebrated twice 
a year, in the Spring and Fall, and this had been the 



NRSHAMINY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. 155 

custom previously no doubt from the earliest history of 
the church. Meetings were often held also on Friday and 
Saturday preceding and on Monday following the Sacra- 
mental Sabbath, at which services Clergymen from a dis- 
tance, or neighboring Pastors, were invited to be present 
and preach, and these special protracted services were 
generally attended with beneficial spiritual results. For 
many years previous to 1860 the celebration of the Com- 
munion took place three times annually, but about that 
time the Session voted, at the suggestion of the Pastor, to 
observe it once a quarter, on the 2d Sabbaths of May, 
August, November, and February ; which arrangement is 
still maintained. 

Some opposition having been made to t?je use of the 
church for a singing school, December 12, 1793, the Cor- 
poration voted after discussion, that it might be so occu- 
pied ; provided the members of the school employed the 
sexton to open and shut the house, and see that it was 
kept clean and free from injury. 

In October, 1793, a i^esolution was adopted by the Cor- 
poration, "that John Greir and John Carr be a committee 
to provide for the accommodation of y° Presbytery of 
Philadelphia, which is to meet here y' 19th of November 
next ; that Mr. Greir provide a cold collation and some 
cyder, and Mr. Carr make provision for y^ horses of the 
members during the day time, while Presbytery do sit, 
and the Committee are to bring in their bill, which will 
be paid out of monies in the hands of Mr. John Ramsey." 

During the last century, and until 1873, it was custom- 
ary to have public worship in the church with a discourse 
appropriate to the occasion, on New Year's Day. A day 



156 HISTORY OF 

for Thanksgiving after harvest was also observed in 1793, 
and after that date, annually, on the 2d or 3d Thursday of 
August, according to the time when the crops of hay and 
grain might be gathered in, with worship and a suitable 
sermon in the sanctuary, until about 1870, when the Gov- 
ernor ot" Pennsylvania and the President of the United 
States both appointed a day every year to thank God for 
his mercies and blessings, when the August Thanksgiving 
season of this particular congregation was given up, or 
merged in that of the commonwealth and nation. 

In 1794 if a person who was not a seat-holder, or did 
not contribute to the amount of 10 shillings, ($1.33) for 
the building or repair of the grave-yard wall, wished to 
have a corpse interred in the grave-yard, he was obliged, 
by order of the Trustees, to pay 10 shillings for the 
privilege. The mone^^ was to be collected by the Sexton 
and accounted for as a part of his salary. 

It was customary from the earliest times for the Trus- 
tees to pay the necessary travelling expenses of the Pas- 
tor and Elder, when they attended the meetings of Pres- 
bytery and Synod. But, August 12, 1794, the Board re- 
solved thereafter to allow on behalf of the church " a 
reasonable sum per day to the Elders for such attendance 
in lieu of their travelling expenses." How long this ar- 
rangement continued we are not informed. 
* During the last century carriages and wheeled vehicles 
were much less common than they are at the present day, 
and many of the congregation came to church on horse- 
back ; sometimes the father and mother, or one of the 
parents and one of the children, or two of the children, on 
the same horse ; and there were stone horse-blocks in the 



NESHAMTNY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. 157 

church-yard for the convenience of those who rode, to 
mount and dismount. In 1795 the committee of repairs 
in the Board of Trustees were directed by the Board to 
repair these horse-blocks, which had become somewhat 
dilapidated by age. 

In October, 1795, the Congregation resolved at a meet- 
ing regularly called, that the salary of Mr. Irwin should 
be $500 per annum from the first day of May preceding^ 
"provided that a rule of reducing the same, in case 
money," that is, the Continental money, " should consid- 
ably appreciate, be adopted and agreed upon between Mr. 
Irwin and the Corporation." In November of the same 
year this subject was discussed by the Trustees, and it was 
finally determined, that the salary should be 170 pounds, 
($453) and if the income of the church permitted, enough 
should be added to make it equal to $500 ; which action 
of the Board was subsequently ratified by the congrega- 
tion. 

During many years before 1795 Rev. Mr. Irwin served 
as Treasurer and Secretary of the Board of Trustees, and 
held all the bonds, records, and papers of the congregation. 
In that year the Board passed a resolution, that " while 
it seems both safe and convenient, that he should in gen- 
eral continue so to do, nevertheless to prevent any accident 
that might arise from his death or otherwise, it is judged 
expedient to appoint a person to hold the receipt book be- 
longing to the Corporation, and such acknowledgments in 
writing of their bonds and other valuable writings, as 
may seem proper. Accordingly, Captain "William Long- 
was chosen for y* purpose aforesaid." 

When John Barnes was chosen Sexton, in 1803, he was 



158 HISTORY OF • 

paid eight dollars a year for his services. He was to re- 
ceive also " for every large corpse he should bury 10 shil- 
lings, or $1.33, and in proportion for those that were less." 
When he buried a person who was not a seat-holder, or 
contributor to the support of the Gospel in the church, 
he was to charge the relatives 10 shillings, as a fee for 
breaking the ground, and one-half of that sum he was 
allowed to retain for his trouble in collecting ; the other 
half being paid into the treasury, to be used in keeping 
the grave-yard in repair. In 1808 he was allowed $2 
more " for cutting and splitting the stove wood." 

In 1806 the grave-yard wall was again repaired, the 
expense being met by a general subscription. 

In 1803, at a meeting of the congregation, $175 was 
subscribed toward building stables for sheltering horses, 
and this sum was subsequently considerably increased. 
Many in those days came to church on horseback, and 
they found it convenient and desirable to put their ani- 
mals in stables or sheds that would be closer than the 
open sheds around the meeting-house now. These enclo- 
sures, for which provision was then partly made, seem 
not to have been erected till 1812, In 1810 a Committee 
was appointed by the Trustees, consisting of the following- 
members, viz. : John Carr, James Polk, Samuel Hart, and 
William Mearns, to consider the subject, and devise a 
proper plan. They reported, that in their opinion " one 
stable should be built for horses alone, 60 feet long, and 
27 feet wide ; the side walls of stone about 7 feet high ; 
doors in the ends ; the horses to be fastened to each side ; 
a double roof of cypress shingles ; the expense of which 
they estimate at $300. They also thought, that stables for 



NESHAMINY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. 159 

carriages should be erected, but whether as public or pri- 
vate property they were not determined." iTo definite 
action was taken on the matter by the Board then ; but 
in May, 1811, William Mearns, John Carr, Samuel Mann, 
Francis Baird, and James Darrah were appointed a Com- 
mittee to " devise and lay before the Corporation at its 
next meeting a draught and plan ot a stable with an 
estimate of the expense." In August they reported that 
they had agreed to recommend the erection of a shed 60 
feet long and 20 feet wide ; and that if the wall was of 
stone, they might be built for $250 ; if of frame, except 
the foundation, the expense was estimated at $180; where- 
upon the Trustees resolved, that they would build sheds 
of the above description, of wood ; and $110 was sub- 
scribed at once toward the cost. A subscription was 
made through the congregation, and it was determined to 
build as many sheds as the money subscribed would 
allow. Elijah Stinson was appointed to superintend the 
erection of them, and he was allowed $1 a day for his 
services, when necessarily engaged in the work, and his 
travelling expenses when abroad. In the spring of 1812 
John Greir, Samuel Mann, James Polk, and William 
Mearns were appointed to collect the money subscribed, 
and pay it to John Harvey, who was designated as Treas- 
urer to receive it. The sheds, a part of which are still 
standing, were built that season, and were the first, ap- 
parently, that were ever built around the meeting-house. 
In 1844 six of these sheds were sold, according to a reso- 
lution passed at a congregational meeting, for $20 each, 
to Hugh Long, John Polk, James McKinstry, Jacob 



160 HISTORY OF 

Stuckert, Matthew Wilson, and Dr. Washington Mat- 
thews. 

Rev. Mr. Irwin was widely known and respected in 
Bucks Co., in which he resided, and took a more active 
part in the afiairs of the County and its politics, than 
most clergymen do in such matters at the present time. 
The Court House and Jail were formerly in l^ewtown, 
ten or twelve miles south-east of the centre of the County,, 
and when new public buildings became necessary it was 
proposed to remove them to a more central location. The 
idea was vehemently opposed by many, and as ardently 
supported by others. Mr. Irwin was among the latter 
class. He advocated the change with energy and 
zeal, and his influence "contributed largely toward fix- 
ing the County seat at Doylestown, but he was abused 
and ridiculed by the enemies of the plan. A caricature 
of him was published, in which he was pictured without 
his hat and in his shirt sleeves, tugging to pull the Court 
House to its present site.* He was also largely instru- 
mental in securing the purchase of the tract of land of 
300 acres for the establishment of the County Almshouse^ 
three miles south of Doylestown. He was appointed by 
the Governor of Pennsylvania Register and Recorder of 
Bucks Co., while the public offices were in Newtown, but 
discharged the duties of the position by a deputy, em- 
plojT^ing for the purpose his son-in-law, Dr. William Hart. 

Mr. Irwin was a fluent, ready speaker, a keen debater, 
and familiar with all the forms and rules in use in ecclesi- 
astical bodies, and had great influence among his breth- 
ren in the courts of the church. Previous to the forma- 



* History of the American Whig Society, Princeton College. 



NESHAMINY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. 161 

tion of the General Assembly he was Clerk of the Synod 
of New York and Philadelphia from 1782 to 1785 inclu- 
sive, and after the General Assembly was constituted he 
was its Moderator in 1801, its Permanent Clerk from 1802 
to 1807, and its Stated Clerk in 1806. 

Dr. A. Alexander said of him: "E'athaniel Irwin of 
ITeshaminy was an influential member of this Assembly. 
[1781.] It was easy to discern, that as his head was liter- 
ally long, so it was intellectually." He was fond of both 
instrumental and vocal music, and, was in the habit of 
often amusing himself and his friends by playing on the 
violin, in which he showed no slight degree of skill. 
The society of young people was very agreeable to him, 
and he often invited them to his house, and unbent from 
the labors of the day with music and even dancing. The 
youths of the congregation were attached to him, and 
were fond of being in his company, and he exercised a 
powerful influence over them. 

He was highly esteemed for his business capacity and 
his knowledge of the laws of the State, by the principal 
men of the congregation; they confided in his judgment 
in the disposal of the permanent funds of the Corporation 
and to a large extent for many years placed the manage- 
ment of them in his hands. 

He was welcomed always to the homes of his people. 
In seasons of festivity, on marriage occasions, or in social 
gatherings, he displayed a cheerful, lively temperament 
and native wit, and his conversation was enjoyed, marked 
as it was, by sound sense and abundant information. He 
was gladly received into families which had been smitten 
by afiliction or death. He knew how to afford consola- 



162 • HISTORY OF 

tion to the sorrowing; to direct the penitent sinner to the 
Lamb of God, and the broken-hearted to Him who alone 
can bind up the wounds He himself has caused. He was 
peculiarly solemn and impressive in his discourses at 
funerals, and his words then often touched many hearts. 
E.ev. A. Prior once stated to me, that he recollected but 
little of Mr. Irwin ; but that on one occasion, which will 
be forever impressed on his memory, he came to attend 
the services in the church at the funeral of a young lady 
of the congregation by the name of Hart. The House of 
God was occupied by a large assembly, many of them 
the young companions of the deceased, and that their 
Pastor preached a most touching discourse from the text, 
" Rise up, ye women that are at ease ; hear my voice, ye 
careless daughters ; give ear unto my speech." Before he 
had concluded almost all before him were in tears. He 
usually preached without a manuscript before him, and 
seldom wrote out his sermons in full. Yet he was deemed 
an earnest, forcible, and effective preacher, " rightly divid- 
ing the word of truth," and giving to each of his hearers' 
a portion in due season, having not the fear of man, but 
the fear of God, before his eyes. He preached the sermon 
at the funeral of Eev. James Greir, Pastor of the Presby- 
terian Church at Deep Pun, in 1792, which was pub- 
lished. He also preached the sermon at the ordination of 
Eev. Thomas Dunn, as Pastor of the First Presbyterian 
Church in Germantown, now a part of Philadelphia, June 
19, 1811. Mr. Dunn was the first settled minister in that 
church, and a man of unusual zeal and earnestness, and 
his labors were crowned with much success. 

Mr. Irwin never wrote much for the press, and we have 



NESHAMINY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, 163 

few specimens of his composition, by which we might 
form an idea of his style and manner of preaching. But 
he was regarded by those who knew him best and were 
most fitted to judge, as an eloquent and able expounder 
and defender of the Christian faith. Dr. Alexander, in 
the " History of Log College," says, 

" When the General Assembly in the year 1811 de- 
termined to establish a Theological Seminary for the 
more thorough training of her candidates for the sacred 
office, there was much diversity of opinion respect- 
ing the most eligible site for the Institution. Between 
Princeton, K J. and Chambersburg, Penn., the chief 
competition existed. But there were a few persons who 
were strongly in favor of placing it on the very site of 
Log College. Rev. E'athaniel Irwin, then Pastor of the 
church at Neshaminy, and a man of profound understand- 
ing, was earnestly desirous that it should be planted on 
the ground where a building had once stood to which 
the Presbyterian Church owes so much. And to manifest 
his sincerity and zeal, Mr. Irwin left in his will one thou- 
sand dollars to the Seminary, on condition that it should 
ultimately be located on this site." 

In this connection it may be proper to state that he 
left in his will $500 to Princeton College, the interest of 
which should be applied as a prize for an annual oration, 
to be delivered by one of the members of the American 
Whig Society, of which organization he was one of the 
founders, and which he regarded with affection as long as 
he lived. The following is an extract from his will, in 
which he makes the legacy referred to : 



164 HISTORY OF 

To the Trustees of the College of New Jersey I give one share in 
the capital stock of the Bank of Pennsylvania, in special trust and 
confidence, that they shall and will yearly, or when required, em- 
power to draw the dividend such person or persons, as the Ameri- 
can Whig Society at Princeton shall designate by a written request 
under the hand of the secretary, for the time being, of said Society. 
And in the confidence, that the said Society shall and will give the 
annual and semi-annual dividends from time to time to the best 
orator belonging to the Society, who is an under-graduate and not 
yet entered into the last term of the senior year, the preference to be 
decided publicly or jjrivately by such persons, and under such 
regulations, as the said Society shall from time to time prescribe. 
And in the further confidence, that if the said Society or Trustees 
in their behalf shall become a body corporate in law, the Trustees 
shall and will legally transfer the said share. 

Prof. Cameron, in his historical sketch of the Whig 
Society, sstys, : " I regret to add, that in the financial 
crisis of 1837 this legacy was reduced to one-tenth of its 
original value, and that it utterly disappeared in that of 
1857." 

Mr. Irwin also bequeathed in his will four shares of 
Pennsylvania Bank stock, or $2,000, to the corporation 
of the Church, in trust for the use of his sister, Jane Mc- 
Eachran. He had perfect confidence that the trust would 
be properly fulfilled by the men with whom he had long 
been associated. Samuel' Mann and Samuel Hart, Esq., 
were appointed to receive the dividends, and retain them 
subject to the order of the corporation. Mrs. McEachran 
lived at Spencertown, IST. Y. After her death he directed 
that these shares of the stock of the Pennsylvania Bank 
should pass to l!^eshaminy Church, the income of which 
was to be sacredly used forever for the support of the 



NESHAMINY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. 165 

Gospel ill the congregation to which he so long minis- 
tered. At the division of the Church in 1838 one-half of 
this legacy was paid by the Trustees to the portion of the 
congregation which withdrew and built a house of wor- 
ship subsequently in Hartsville. The half of the stock 
which remained in possession of E'eshaminy Church was 
lost by the failure of the bank in 1857. 

The witnesses to Mr. Irwin's will were John Long; and 
Jesse Eubinkam. 

The Records of the Session of the Church of Neshaminy 
seem to have been kept very imperfectly previous to 1835, 
and probably for considerable periods none were made at 
all. iSTone are known to be in existence for the time 
prior to that year. A Record of Births, Baptisms and 
Marriages is preserved, which extends back to 1788 ; if 
any was made of those items previous to that date it is 
now lost. On account of the lack of Sessional Records it 
is not possible to give even an approximate estimate 
of the number of additions to the communion of the 
church, which were secured during Mr. Irwin's pastorate. 
In the year 1794 there were seventy members in regular 
standing in the church. From May 12, 1788, to March 3, 
1812, there are recorded in the Book of Baptisms 24 per- 
sons baptized, marked as adults, and 369 infants. The 
adults were persons admitted to the communion from the 
world, who had not been baptized in infancy, and there 
were no doubt a much larger number admitted who had 
received the ordinance of baptism on the faith of their 
parents, in early years, of whom no record is now found. 

During the ministry of Mr. Irwin, and perhaps pre- 
viously, the bread was distributed to the communicants 



166 HISTORY OP 

at the Lord's Supper, on a glass plate, which has heen pre- 
served, and is now in the possession of Miss Mary Weir 
of JSTorristown, formerly one of the members of Ne- 
sharainy Church. When she was asked whether she 
would part with this relic of the past, she said that she 
preferred to retain it as long as she lived, which would 
not be many years, in memory of her former pastor, Mr. 
Irwin. 

Mr. Irwin was twice married, first to Martha Jamison, 
daughter of Henry Jamison of Centreville, Bucks Co., 
Pa., about the year 1777, by whom he had two children, 
a son and a daughter. The son, Henry, grew up to man's 
estate, was fond of society, and was the life of every social 
circle into which he was thrown. But he was led to in- 
temperance by evil associates, which caused his father 
deep sorrow and embittered his declining years. Henry 
was married to Miss Walker of Warrington, Bucks Co.,. 
and had several children, who after their father's death 
removed with their mother to Ohio. He died Feb. 7, 
1812, aged 32 years, a few weeks only before the death of 
his venerable parent. 

Rev. Mr. Irwin's daughter, Mary, was the object of in- 
tense affection on the part of her father, and was brought 
up with the utmost care and solicitude. She was a lovely 
young lady, intelligent, amiable, and respected for many 
excellent qualities, and married Dr. William Hart of 
Newtown. They had one child, which died in infancy, 
July 19, 1802. She herself died, September 28, 1802 ; 
and her husband was removed to another world August 
13, 1810. 

After the death of his first wife, which occurred in 



NESHAMINY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. 167 

Chester Co., Pa., about the year 1806, he was married a 
second time, to Priscilla McKinstrj^ , with whom he lived 
happily until the close of his life, and who was a most 
discreet and sensible helpmeet for him in the manage- 
ment of his domestic affairs. 

Repeated afflictions in the last part of Mr. Irwin's 
earthly course severely tried his fortitude, faith and pa- 
tience, but he endured them all with heroic Christian 
courage and submission to the divine will. They weaned 
him from the world, diminished his hold upon this life, 
and were, perhaps, the means of bringing him to its ter- 
mination at an earlier period than if the divine hand had 
been stretched out over him always in a way which men 
usually call merciful. His last sickness was not protracted 
beyond a few days, and only one Sabbath intervened be- 
tween the time when he was able to fill his pulpit and 
the day when his mortal remains were conveyed to the 
grave. A large concourse of people attended his funeral, 
not only from his own congregation but from all the sur- 
rounding region, and it is commonly said that the line of 
vehicles conveying the people had scarcely ceased to leave 
the residence of the deceased when the front of it reached 
the church, though the distance is a mile and a half; the 
great assemblage from near and far testifjdng to the pop- 
ular estimate of his influence and his worth. The funeral 
exercises were held in the church, where he had for 
nearly forty years preached the everlasting Gospel, the 
sermon being delivered by Rev. James P. Wilson, D. D., 
pastor of the First Church, Philadelphia. 

His remains were deposited, as he desired, at the spot 
in the burying-ground, over which the pulpit in the origi- 



168 HISTORY OF 

nal church once stood, and on a horizontal marble tablet 
over his grave is the following inscription. 

EEV. NATHANIEL IRWIN. 

Died Makch Sd, 1812. ' 

Aged 65 years, 4 mo8., 15 days. 

To this sad tonnb, who e'er thou art, draw near ; 
Here Hes a friend to truth ; of soul sincere. 
Of manners unaffected and of mind 
Enlarged ; he wished the good of all mankind ; 
Calmly he looked on either life, for here 
His pe.ace was made, and nothing left to fear. 

His widow, Mrs. Priscilla Irwin, survived him until 
August 3, 1822, when she died, aged 62 years, and her re- 
mains were laid beside those of her revered and beloved 
husband. 



CHAPTER XV. 

PASTORATE OF REV. R. B. BELVILLE. 

After the death of Rev. N. Irwin the Neshaminy 
Church remained for a year and a half without a Pastor, 
the services of the sanctuary meantime being conducted 
by supplies and candidates. Among the latter, the two 
who received most favor, were Rev. John McKnight and 
Rev. Robert B. Eelville. At the election for Pastor, Mr. 



NESHAMINY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. 169 

Belville received a majority of the votes of the congrega- 
tion and church, and subsequently signified his willing- 
ness to accept the call. 

* He was born at or near ^N'ew Castle, Delaware, in 1790. 
His ancestors were Huguenots, who came to this country 
from France, soon after the revocation of the Edict of 
Nantes, which occurred in 1685. Two brothers of the 
family came at the same time and settled, one in South 
Carolina, and the other on Long Island. Mr. R. B. Bel- 
ville was one of the descendants of the Long Island 
branch, as are also those of that name who reside at the 
present time in Delaware. A third brother, being a 
Catholic, remained in France, and from him Dr. ]Sricolas 
Jacques Emanuel De Belleville, formerly of Trenton, K J., 
was descended. This gentleman was an eminent physi- 
cian, who emigrated to the United States from France, in 
1777, with Count Pulaski, and after serving in the Fed- 
eral Army for more than a year, as a surgeon, settled in 
Trenton to practice his profession. He was highly es- 
teemed for his medical skill and social qualities, and was 
sometimes summoned to attend Joseph Buonaparte, the 
exiled King of Spain and brother of ITapoleon I, who re- 
sided for some years at Bordentown. 

Rev. R. B. Belville obtained his literary education 
partly under the tuition of James Ross, the author of the 
Latin Grammar which was the most complete and valu- 
ble elementary work on that language which had at that 
time been published in this country, and partly at the 



* For information concerning Mr. Belville's early life, I am in- 
debted to his son, Eev. Jacob Belville, D. D. 



170 HISTORY OF 

University of Pennsylvania. Previous to his studying for 
the ministry of the Gospel, he taught an academy with 
marked success, at Wilmington, Delaware, and also at 
Burlington, 'N. J. "When he took charge of the academy 
at WiJmington, he discovered that it was required among 
the rules of the institution, that the Principal should 
open the exercises each day with prayer. He was not 
then pious; the requirement led him to serious reflection; 
his mind was deeply aftected with a sense of his own 
weakness and sinfulness, and his need of pardon and 
divine help, and at length he dedicated himself to the 
Lord Jesus Christ. 

!N'ot long after making a profession of religion, he felt 
it to be his duty and privilege to enter the sacred ofl3.ce, 
and with this in view he pursued the study of Theology, 
under the instructions of Dr. Samuel Stanhope Smith, 
President of Princeton College, shortly before the estab- 
lishment of the Theological Seminary at that place by 
the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church, which 
occurred in 1812. He was soon invited to preach at Ne- 
shaminy, and his natural, graceful eloquence, his clear 
voice and commanding appearance, as well as his pleasant 
manners and social qualities out of the pulpit, made a 
favorable impression at once upon many in the congrega- 
tion. 

He was chosen Pastor in May, 1813, and taking proper 
time for consideration upon so important a matter, was 
ordained and installed October 20th, of the same year, on 
which occasion Rev. James P. Wilson, D.D., Sr., preached 
the sermon. The congregation at this time was not very 
large, and the roll of communicants was small. He was, 



NESHAMINY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. 



171 



however, promised $600 a year as his salary, which at 
that period was regarded as a good income by most min- 
isters whose lot was cast outside of large towns and cities. 
This was paid regularly, and it may be here remarked to 
the credit of the people of Neshaminy, that they have al- 
ways been faithful in fulfilling their pledges to their pas- 
tors, and thoughtful in providing for their comfort. They 
have looked upon them as the ambassadors of Christ, and 
for His sake have endeavored to meet their engagements 
to them, and promote their welfare according to their 
ability. 

When the church was first committed to his care, it 
consisted, probably, of about 50 members. Accessions 
were frequently made to its membership during his pas- 
torate, and several powerful revivals of religion were en- 
joyed. There was a considerable awakening soon after 
the commencement of his ministry, and in 1822 a remark- 
able visitation of the Holy Spirit occurred, by which the 
church was greatly increased in size and strength. There 
were admitted to the communion, as w^e find from a for- 
mer list of members — 



September 22, 1822. 


Males . 


28 




Females 


48 


January 19, 1823. 


Males . 


8 




Females 


11 


May 11, 1823. 


Males . 


2 




Females 


4 



76 



19 



101 



One hundred and one persons in less than eight months ; 
being 38 males and 63 females. 



172 HISTORY OF 

In 1832 and 1833 a gracious outpouring of the Spirit 
was experienced, perhaps more remarkable than that of ten 
years previous. It was preceded, as Rev. Jacob Belville, 
D. D., remarks, " by long preparation and prayer. In 
September, 1831, a protracted meeting was held, which 
resulted in the addition of eleven persons to the commu- 
nion of the church. This was a great disappointment to 
the pastor and session." The blessing was so much 
smaller than they had desired and looked for. Hoping 
that God would more abundantly bless them, if they 
waited upon him with importunate entreaties, the pastor 
persuaded the elders and some of the church to commence 
at once the observance of a " Twilight concert of prayer " 
for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit ; all praying, wher- 
ever they might be at the setting of the sun, for this ob- 
ject, and in these petitions a large portion of the church 
at length united. 

In the winter of 1831-32, or in the fall of 1832, Mr. 
Belville established six Bible Classes in diiterent parts of 
the congregation, which met in school-houses or private 
residences, for prayer and the stud}^ of God's word, most 
of which he attended. These were maintained with much 
interest, and prepared the way for special services in the 
church. In January, 1833, meetings were held for three 
or four days consecutively in connection with the commu- 
nion, which were attended with great interest, and the 
minds of a large portion of the congregation were aroused 
to the serious consideration of their duty to God and 
their danger out of Christ. The religious interest con- 
tinued to increase until February, when Dr. Ezra Stiles 
Ely, of Philadelphia, spent a day at Neshaminy, and 



NESHAMINY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. 17^ 

preacheJ four times in one day. A large number of con- 
versions took place in connection with these means of 
grace, and it is said, that " in May one hundred were 
admitted to the communion, and in September forty 
more. Of these 140 persons Mr. Belville stated, that he 
never knew of but one, that went back to the world and 
proved unfaithful to his vows," 

From the Book of Baptisms of the church we find, 
that there were baptized March 17, 1833, thirty-nine per- 
sons, 14 males and 25 females. All the others who were 
admitted to the Lord's Supper in May, must have been 
baptized in their infancy on the faith of their parents. 

In 1815, not long after the beginning of Mr. Belville's 
pastorate, he purchased a tract of forty acres of land near 
the church, from William Hart, on which he erected a 
house and barn, as the congregation did not then possess 
a parsonage ; and about this time, viz.: October 2, 1815, 
he was married to Miss Mary Gaw, of Princeton, K J., a 
most estimable young lady, who by her piety, prudence, 
sound sense, intelligence, good management, and earnest 
zeal in the cause of Christ, proved to be a most suitable 
companion and helper in his work. 

After a few years he found his salary inadequate to the 
support of his family; the congregation were not pre- 
pared to increase it sufficiently, and they did not wish 
him to accede to overtures which had been made by 
another congregation that he should settle among them, 
where he would receive a larger salary. He determined 
to engage in teaching. Loller Academy, at Hatborough,. 
Montgomery Co., four miles from I^eshaminy, then stood 
in need of a Principal. Mr. Belville obtained the appoint- 



174 HISTORY OF 

ment, rented his farm, and made preparations to move to 
Hatborough, where he could not only superintend the 
academy, but attend to the wants of his church likewise. 
At this juncture he was told by the Trustees of the school 
that no religious instruction would be permitted in the 
institution. He immediately resigned the place they had 
offered him, secured the cancelling of the lease of his 
farm, built a school-house on his own grounds, and in six 
weeks from the time of his resignation of the post at 
Hatborough he began his school with eleven boys as 
boarding scholars, and a few day scholars soon began to 
attend. In obtaining pupils he was greatly aided by 
Rev. James P. Wilson, D. D., Sr., pastor of the First 
Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia, who used his in- 
fluence in favor of the new school among the people of 
his charge. Mr. Belville continued to teach nine years, 
when finding his pecuniary circumstances more easy, he 
gave up his school, and devoted himself entirely to the 
ministry of the Word. 

The following circumstances relating to the church 
have been gathered from the Minutes of Meetings of 
the Board of Trustees, d uring Mr. Belville's pastorate. 

There was for many years in the north-east part of the 
yard of the church a small stone house, which was often 
called the " Session House." It was originally designed, 
no doubt, as a place for meetings of the session and cor- 
poration, and perhaps for prayer-meetings. When there 
were two services on the Sabbath at the church, morning 
and afternoon, with an interval of an hour or an hour 
and a half between them, as was the fact seventy-five 
or eighty years ago, this room was frequently used by the 



NESHAMINY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. 175 

minister during the intermission as a place of retirement 
and meditation. But sometimes it was rented from year 
to year as a place of residence, to difl'erent individuals. 
In 1813 it was repaired by having a new roof put upon 
it, and James Darrah was appointed by the Trustees to 
superintend the work. 

In 1818 a new roof was put on the church, and Hugh 
Long, James Darrah and Samuel Hart were the Commit- 
tee to superintend the work on behalf of the Trustees. 
This was subsequently paid for by a legacy of Henry 
Jamison to the amount of $500. 

In 1824 Rev. Mr. Belville, the Pastor, gave a lot of 
ground adjoining the grave-yard, on the east side of it, to 
the church for burial purposes. It was fifteen rods long 
by about six and seven-tenths rods wide, and contained 
one-half of an acre. It was a very acceptable addition to 
the cemetery, and was much needed, as the ground hith- 
erto occupied for sepulture was full, and the congregation 
knew not where to obtain land to accommodate those 
who were from time to time seeking burial lots. The 
gift was received with expressions of gratitude by the 
people, and measures were immediately taken to enclose 
it with a substantial stone wall, as a part of the main 
cemetery. The following committee was appointed to 
solicit subscriptions to defray the necessary expense, viz. : 
John Weir, J. Stewart Greir, John Jamison, James Hor- 
ner, William Ramsey, John Long, Gideon Prior. The 
superintendence of building the new wall and repairing 
the old was devolved by the Trustees upon John Harvey, 
William Carr, and Samuel McISTair. 

In 1825 the salary of the sexton was $12 per annum, 



176 HISTORY OF 

and he was permitted to charge $2 for digging a full- 
sized grave. In 1827 his salary was raised to $20, which 
was to include compensation for cleaning out the grave- 
yard whenever it might require it, filling up sunken 
graves, and cutting wood for the stoves at the church. 
In 1836 it was raised to $30. 

Previous to 1828 the part of the grave-yard which w^as 
used for the interment of colored people was on the north- 
west corner, outside of the wall which enclosed all the 
remainder of the ground. Many persons were opposed, 
through a ]Drejudice against the African race, to their 
sepulture in the same ground with the whites. But in 
that year it was resolved by the Trustees, the Pastor 
strongly advocating the resolution, that this parcel of 
ground, hitherto shut out, should be enclosed within the 
wall ; and Pev. Mr. Belville was desired to superintend 
the work, as it was near his residence, and draw on the 
treasury of the church to meet the expense of the pro- 
posed alteration. The work was done during that sum- 
mer, and the people of color of the neighborhood since 
that date have had the same protection for their dead 
with others. 

For many years previous to 1832, probably from the 
time (1775) when the church was rebuilt, there had been 
a door on the south side of the church, and one on the 
south-east end. But in 1882 the door on the side was,. 
by order of the Trustees, walled in, and two doors were 
constructed on the south-east end to correspond with the 
main aisles ; and the high pews on the end opposite the 
pulpit were reduced to a level with the other pews. By 
the former alteration four new pews were secured, the 



NESHAMINY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. 177 

aisle corresponding to the side door, wliich was closed 
up, being no longer needed. At the public sale of these 
new pews it seems not to have been stated with sufficient 
explicitness whether those who took them were to have 
the ownership of them in fee simple, or merely the right 
of occupancy on the payment of the yearly rent. James 
Cox, Esq., bid off one, and paid $30 for it, with the idea 
that he had bought the proprietary ownership to it. 
When the Trustees learned that this was his view of the 
matter, they voted to refund to him the money he had 
paid, on his giving a receipt and a release of all claim to 
the pew. The right of occupancy of the pew was then 
sold by auction to Samuel Long for $10. 



CHAPTER XVI. 



BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 



REV. JAMES P. "WILSON, D.D., SR. 

This eminent man lived during his last years within 
the bounds of the congregation of l^eshaminy, on his farm 
a little south of the village of Harts ville, adjoining the 
property which was once owned by Rev. William Ten- 
nent, Sr. It seems not inappropriate, therefore, that a 



I 



178 HISTORY OF 

sketch of his life should be inserted here. The following 
account is found for the most part in Sprague's Annals 
of the American Pulpit, Vol. 4, p. 353, and was pre- 
pared from a manuscript furnished Dr. Sprague by Rev. 
J. P. Wilson, D. D., Jr. : 

" James Patriot Wilson, a son of the Rev. Dr. Matthew 
Wilson and Elizabeth, his wife, was born at Lewes, Sus- 
sex Co., Del., February 21, 1769. His father was eminent 
both as a physician and a clergyman, and his mother is 
represented as having been a model in all her domestic 
and social relations. He was graduated with high, honor 
at the University of Pennsylvania, in August, 1788; and 
so much was he distinguished in the various branches in- 
cluded in his collegiate course, that at the time of his 
graduation it was the expressed opinion of the Faculty 
that he was competent to instruct his classmates. He 
was at the same time oftered a place in the University as 
Assistant Professor of Mathematics, but as his health was 
somewhat impaired, and the air of his native place was 
more congenial with his constitution, he became an as- 
sistant in the academy at Lewes, taking measures to 
regain his health, and occupying his leisure with reading 
history. Having devoted himself for some time to the 
study of the law, he was admitted to the bar in Sussex 
County in 1790. Though he had acquired a reputation 
as a lawyer, unsurpassed perhaps in his native State, yet 
he ere long relinquished his profession and entered the 
ministry. During the earlier part of his life he had been 
skeptical in respect to Christianity, but by a series of dis- 
tressing afflictions, one of which M^as the assassination in 
the dark of an only brother, he was brought to serious 



NESHAMINY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. 179 

reflection, and ultimately not only to a full conviction of 
the truth, but to a practical and cordial acceptance of it. 
He was licensed to preach the Gospel in 1804 by the 
Presbytery of Lewes, and in the same year was ordained 
and installed as Pastor of the united congregations of 
Lewes, Cool Spring and Indian River — the same which 
had for many years enjoyed the ministry of his father. 
In May, 1806, he was called at the instance of the late 
Dr. Benjamin Rush (his early and constant friend) to the 
pastoral charge of the First Presbyterian Church in 
Philadelphia. He accepted the call by advice of the 
Presbytery of Lewes, and removed to Philadelphia the 
same year. In May, 1828, he retired to his farm about 
twenty miles from the city on account of the infirm state 
of his health, preaching, nevertheless, to his congregation 
as often as his health permitted. His resignation of his 
pastoral charge was accepted in the spring of 1830. In 
the course of that season he visited the city, and preached 
for the last time to his people. He died at his farm in 
Bucks County in the utmost peace on the 9th of Decem- 
ber, 1830, and was buried on the 13th in a spot selected 
by himself in the grave-yard of Neshaminy Church. His 
remains lie near the tomb of the celebrated William Ten- 
nent, the founder of the ' Log College.' " 

On his monument is the following inscription : 
JAMES P. WILSON, D. D. 

Born Feb. 21, 1769. Died Dec. 9, 1830. 

Placida hie pace quiesco, Jacobus P. Wilson, per annos 
bis septem composui lites, sacra exinde dogmata tractans. 



180 . HISTORY OF 

Quid sum et fui, jam noscis, viator. Quid, die suprema, 
videbis. Brevi quid ipse futurus, nunc pectore versa. 
Natus, 1769. Obiit, 1830. 

For the benefit of the reader who is not familiar with 
the Latin language, this may be translated thus : 

" Here I, James P. Wilson, rest in calm peace. During 
fourteen years I practiced law, thenceforward treating of 
sacred themes. Now, traveller, you know what I am and 
have been. What I am about to be on the last day you 
will see. Now dwell in your mind on what you yourself 
will be in a short time." 

His wife, who survived him a little more than eight 
years, was buried by his side, and on the monument is 
this inscription to her memory : 

His Wife, MAEY HALL. 
Born Aug. 19, 1766. Died Jan. 5, 1839. 

Dr. Sprague continues : " The degree of Doctor of 
Divinity was conferred upon him by the University of 
Pennsylvania in 1807. 

" In June, 1792, he was married to Elizabeth, daughter 
of John and Hannah Woods, of Lewes, with whom he 
lived but little more than three j^ears, as she died in De- 
cember, 1795. She had two children, but neither of them 
survived her. His attachment to this lady is said to have 
been, even in his own estimation, quite idolatrous. In 
referring to her death at a subsequent period, in some 
written memoranda that still remain, he remarks : ' It 
was in the course of Providence necessary to bring me to 
my senses.' 

"In May, 1798, he was married to Mary, daughter of 



NESHAMINY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. 181 

David and Mary M. Hall, and sister of the late Governor 
Hall of Delaware. By this marriage he had nine children, 
■only two of whom, James and Matthew, survived him. 
Mrs. Wilson died on the 5th of January, 1839, after three 
months' suffering from the puncture of a needle in the 
sole of her foot, resulting finally in mortification. 

" Dr. Wilson was in person above the middle height, 
and had a countenance rather grave than animated, and 
expressive at once of strong benevolent feeling and high 
intelligence. In the ordinary intercourse of society his 
manners were exceedingly bland, though he was as far as 
possible from any approach to the courtier. He was 
affable and communicative, and generally talked so sensi- 
bly, or so learnedly, or so profoundly, that he was listened 
to with earnest attention." 

In corroboration of this last remark of Dr. Sprague, I 
have heard it said, that after Dr. Wilson had removed to 
his farm, when he was in delicate health, Isaac Parry of 
Warminster, a highly respected member of the Society of 
Friends, called upon him, and found him out in the field 
sitting on a log. He sat down by his side and they en- 
tered into conversation ; and Friend Parry subsequently 
remarked, that he should always remember with the 
highest pleasure that hour of converse with the venerable 
man ; that his discourse was full of wisdom and valuable 
truth. 

Dr. Sprague adds : " I saw him a few times in private, 
and he struck me as a model of a Christian Philosopher. 
He was uniformly gentle, urbane and obliging, and rarely 
spoke without uttering something that I could wish to 
remember. I heard him preach one sermon, and it was 



182 . HISTORY OF 

throughout as consecutive and condensed as the demon- 
stration of a problem of Euclid. I am confident that I 
never heard another preacher who tasked my powers of 
attention and reflection so much ; the loss of a sentence 
or two would have greatly marred the impression of the 
entire discourse. He spoke without notes, and with great 
deliberation, but with as niuch correctness as if every 
word had been written. On a blank leaf of his copy ot 
Henry "Ware's Tract on " Extemporaneous Preaching," he 
has left the following testimony over his signature : ' I 
have preached twenty years, and have never written a 
full sermon in my life, and never read one word of a ser- 
mon from the pulpit, nor opened a note, nor committed a 
sentence, and have rarely wandered five minutes at a 
time from my mental arrangement previously made.' " 

These characteristics of his preaching rendered it very 
important that the audience should be perfectly quiet,, 
and he could not bear any noise or interruption. Any 
thing of this kind seemed to vex and worry him. When 
a child cried once in the gallery of his church, he turned 
to that part of the house, stopped in the midst of his ser- 
mon, pointed with his finger, and said : " Take that child 
'Out ! Take that child out ! " At another time one 
of his children was inclined to play, when he abruptly 
exclaimed, " Sammy, go home ; go home ! " and motioned 
to the boy towards the door. Dr. Wm. Patton says of 
him : " He was peculiar in the use of the first person 
plural, always saying, 'We think, we advise.' When 
speaking of Nicodemus, as referred to in the third chap- 
ter of John, he would uniformly say, ' There was a gentle- 
man of the Pharisees named E icodemus ' ; and when com- 



NESHAMINY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. 183 

nienting on the parable of the* Ten Virgins, he used to 
call them the ' Ten young ladies.' He was very familiar 
with all the Grreek and Latin Fathers of the Christian 
Church, and almost lived among them." 

* GIDEON PRIOR. 

Among the men who were prominent in IsTeshaminy 
Church and congregation during the ministry of Rev. 
Mr. Belville and subsequently, was Elder Gideon Prior. 
His history is peculiarly interesting. 

■^ He was born in Lebanon, "Windham County, Conn., 
August 5, 1764, and remained in his native town till 
1781. Being then a boy of sixteen years old, he became 
fired with the patriotic zeal which animated so many of 
our American youth, and joined the French army in 
Rhode Island under Count De Rochambeau. Unable from 
his youth to perform regular military duty, he was at- 
tached to the ordnance department, as a driver of wagons 
containing military stores. In this capacity he went with 
the French in June, 1781, to the vicinity of the Hudson 
river, above New York, where they were to act in con- 
junction with Washington against the British in the city. 
But things having become ripe for attacking General 
Cornwallis, in Yorktown, Va., the combined American 
and French armies marched rapidly thither. During the 
march young Gideon suffered much from exposure and 
severe toil. Like many others he was obliged to sleep out 

*Most of the information contained in this account is obtained 
from Rev. Azariah Prior of Pottsville, Pa., son of Gideon Prior. 



184 HISTORY OF 

of doors, to rise before ligbt, to go after the day's march 
considerable distances, to procure forage for his animals ; 
and if his constitution had not been very vigorous, he 
must have sunk under his fatigue and hardships. At 
the siege of Yorktown, he was engaged in conveying am- 
munition to the besiegers, and was often passing and repass- 
ing across the fields, when the cannon balls were whist- 
ling through the air and flying in every direction. But 
his life was spared though in the most exposed situations, 
and he escaped without injury. He witnessed the surren- 
der of the British General, and the laying down of the 
arms of the troops before Washington, and remembered 
to the close of his life the scene when the vanquished 
soldiers threw down their muskets in piles with a crash 
which resounded far around. 

After this event he returned from Virginia to the Norths 
and as a treaty of peace was not yet arranged, he went on 
board of a privateer, which cruised a short time in the 
Atlantic, but was captured by a British frigate and taken 
into ]S'ew York, which city was still in the hands of the 
enemy. In company with others he was confined in a 
prison-ship in the harbor, but was at length transferred 
to a British vessel in active service, and carried out to 
sea. The British then claimed the right to take their 
subjects, wherever they could find them, and impress 
them into their naval vessels, as sailors or marines ; and 
they had not yet acknowledged that the Americans were 
free from their control. 

After various perils and adventures Gideon was left on 
one of the West India Islands, friendless and alone ; 
whence he made his way to iTew England. In the course 



NESHAMINY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. 185 

of a year or two he entered Dartmouth College, ]^ew 
Hampshire, where he remained about four years. But 
being urged by a brother in South Carolina to come to 
him, he set out ; taught school by the way, and, having 
reached Neshaminy, married, and with the exception of 
one year, lived there the remainder of his life. 

He taught school several years in a log school-house, 
which used to stand in the grave-yard, and in one on the 
Street Road, on ground adjoining the farm now owned 
by Joseph Barnsley, Esq., and was considered an excellent 
teacher. He was familiar with the Latin language, and 
excelled in giving instruction in it. His sons Asahel and 
Azariah, who were educated at Jefferson College, Canons- 
burg, Pa., were principally prepared for that institution 
by him as their tutor. He also taught singing classes 
almost every winter for many years, and met with unus- 
ual success in imparting to his pupils skill and taste in 
the practice of sacred music. He united with the church 
in 1822. For twenty-five or thirty years he was an elder 
in l^eshaminy Church, and was highly respected as a 
man of strong mind and sound judgment in administering 
the affairs of the household of faith. He was an exem- 
plary Christian, and marked by perfect integrity and 
uprightness in all his business transactions. "He was 
humble and unostentatious, and fond of agricultural pur- 
suits, but possessed more general information and solid 
learning than most of his acquaintances supposed. He 
bore an unspotted reputation in the world, and honored 
the Christian profession." He retained the use of all his 
mental faculties unusually late in life, and until " within 
a few years of his death he could quote from several Latin 



186 HISTOEY OF 

authors correctly in their original language." He died 
after a short illness, February 1, 1854, in the 90th year 
of his age. 

His wife, Elizabeth Carr Prior, second daughter of 
William Carr, died April 3, 1845, aged 75 years. 

HON. ROBERT RAMSEY. 

Another of the men of influence in the community 
during Mr. Belville's ministry, was Hon. Robert Ramsey. 
He was born in Warminster Township, Bucks Co., Pa., 
February 14, 1780. He was a member of the Legislature 
of the State of Pennsylvania five years, viz.: 1825, 1826, 
1827, 1829 and 1831 ; and a member of Congress two 
terms, from 1833 to 1835 and from 1841 to 1843. He was 
a warm admirer and friend of John Quincy Adams while 
in Washington ; possessed sound judgment upon public 
affairs, much information, and sterling common sense. 
He was true and faithful to his convictions of duty in 
reference to the interests of the commonwealth and the 
nation, and enjoyed the confidence of his fellow-citizens 
in a high degree, as is evinced by their frequent selection 
of him to fill posts of honor and trust. He was attached 
to the doctrines and order of the Presbyterian Church, n 
regular attendant on the ministry of the word at Nes- 
haminy ; a liberal supporter of the Gospel and for a num- 
ber of years a trustee of the Church. He died of paraly- 
sis, December 12, 1849, in the 70th year of his age. 

SAMUEL HART, ESQ. 

Samuel Hart, Esq., was another gentleman long associ- 



NESHAMINY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. 187 

ated with the congregation, who performed faithfully and 
efficiently important trusts committed to him. He was 
born November 1, 1783. For many years he was em- 
ployed in surveying lands, settling estates, and writing 
wills, deeds and other papers relating to the transfer of 
property, and was unusually successful in this kind of busi- 
ness. He wrote a very fair, neat hand, and his penman- 
ship is seen for some years in the annual Records of the 
Corporation of the Church. He was one of the Trustees 
during the period of thirteen years from 1810 to 1823, 
and was much relied upon for his advice and skill in set- 
tlino- the financial accounts of the Board. He was for a 
time Associate Judge of the Court of Common Pleas of 
Bucks County. 

About the year of 1825 he removed from IlTeshaminy to 
the vicinity of Doylestown, and there united with the 
Society of Friends, in which religious connection he was 
at the time of his death, which took place November 25, 
1863. One of his sons was George Hart, Esq., a much 
respected member of the Bar of Bucks Co., who died in 
Doylestown, February 7, 1871, and another is Josiah 
Hart, Esq., Banker, still residing there. Samuel Hart 
was a man of high integrity and unsullied reputation, and 
was widely known and trusted as honorable, upright, and 
judicious by all who knew him. 

REV. JOHN MAGOFFIN. 

Rev. John Magoffin was born in the vicinity of Carlisle, 
Pa., September, 1780. His youth and early manhood were 
spent in Philadelphia, where he was engaged in mercan- 
tile business, until he had acquired what he deemed a 



188 HISTORY OF 

competency, when he determined to devote his time prin- 
cipally to preaching the Gospel. With this object in view 
he was examined and licensed by the Presbytery of Phila- 
delphia about 1819 or 1820. Dr. Janeway, Br. James P. 
Wilson, and Rev. James Patterson were at that time Pas- 
tors in the city, and were probably present at his licen- 
sure. About the year 1827 he removed to Warminster, 
Bucks Co., where he had purchased a farm, not far from 
the property afterwards owned by Eev. James P. Wilson, 
D. D., Pastor of the 1st Presbyterian Church, Philadel- 
phia. This was within the bounds of the Congregation 
of l^eshaminy, and about two miles from the Church ; 
and quite near the site of Log College. He was in the 
habit, while he resided here, of assisting Rev. Mr. Bel- 
ville, the Pastor of I^eshaminy, in special meetings, social 
prayer-meetings and other services, and of preaching in 
school-houses in the region around ; the County Line 
school-house, the one on the Street road, at Jacksonville, 
Addisville, and Jamison's Corner, and in the Academy 
at Hatborough. He also preached occasionally for Rev. 
Abraham Halsey at Churchville. Before the division of 
the Presbyterian Church he gave up his license to preach, 
and about that time, 1836, he removed from Warminster 
to Buckingham, when he was within the bounds of the 
Presbyterian Church of Solebury, of which Rev. P. 0. 
Studdiford, of Lambertville, ]^. J., was Pastor. In 1838 
or 1839 he was licensed and ordained to the Gospel Min- 
istry by the Addison Congregational Association, Ortho- 
dox, in Bristol, Vermont. While he resided in Bucking- 
ham, he assisted Dr. Studdiford in supplying the pulpit of 
the Solebury Church, particularly when by injuries sus- 



NESHAMINY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. 189 

tained by the bridge over the Delaware at IsTew Hope, the 
crossing of the river was di^cult or dangerous, and Dr. 
S., whose home was on the east side of the river, where 
one of the churches of his charge was located, could not 
easily cross. He removed to Bristol in 1846, and here he 
preached much to the boatmen on the canal, and distri- 
buted Bibles, Testaments, and Tracts among them, and 
endeavored in every way possible to benefit morally, spir- 
itually, and in their temporal afl'airs, this neglected class 
of our fellow-citizens. When through failing health he 
was not able to labor among them himself, he employed 
others at his own expense. He was many years President 
of the Bucks County Bible Society, and was always, from 
his earliest residence in the County, deeply interested in 
the work of supplying all the families within the limits 
of its operations with a copy of the Holy Scriptures. In 
his business transactions he was scrupulously upright, 
candid, and honest, so much so as to appear singular to 
those whose standard of integrity was less elevated than 
his. Greatly respected by all classes of people while he 
lived, when he passed away it was remarked by even the 
most irreligious, that if any were saved, one of them 
must be Mr. Magoffin. He died in Bristol, Pa., January 
20, 1860, in the eightieth year of his age. His remains 
lie interred in the grave-yard of the Episcopal Church of 
that town. 

He was married June 20, 1815, to Miss Cornelia Patton 
of Philadelphia, who still survives her husband, and re- 
sides in Bristol. She is a sister of Eev. Wm. Patton, 
D. D., of New Haven, Conn., formerly Pastor of a Con- 
gregational Church, in 'New York City. 



190 HISTORY OF 

ASAHEL PRIOR. 

Asahel Prior, A. B., son of Elder Gideon Prior, was born 
in Warminster, N'ovember 15, 1809, and was prepared for 
college under the instruction of his father. He was hope- 
fully converted while young, and received into the com- 
munion of the church at ]S"eshaminy, January 19, 1823, 
when in his fourteenth year. As a boy and a young man 
he bore a high character, was fond of study, and devoted 
to the cultivation of his mind, and the acquisition of use- 
ful information. He entered Jeiierson College, at Canons- 
burg, Pa., and greatly endeared himself to the Professors 
of the Institution and his fellow-students. His excessive 
application to books impaired his health and brought on 
pulmonary consumption. During the last part of his 
senior year his physical strength was much undermined ; 
yet he graduated with his class and received his degree of 
Bachelor of Arts. He returned to his father's, and passed 
away to the home of the just, August 30, 1830, in the 
twentieth year of his age. Had he lived in the enjoy- 
ment of health, he would probably have been a distin- 
guished scholar. 

SAMUEL LONG. 

Samuel Long, A. M., son of Hugh and Mary Long, was 
born March 17, 1805. He became hopefully the subject 
of divine grace in the remarkable revival with which 
Neshaminy Church was blessed in 1822, and united with 
the visible people of God, September 22d of that year. 
Having a desire to obtain a liberal education he pursued 
a course of preparatory study under Rev. Mr. Belville, 



NESHAMINY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. 191 

and entered Jefferson College, Canonsburg, Pa., where he 
graduated in 1830 with the highest honors of the institu- 
tion. On Commencement Day, when he received his de- 
gree of Bachelor of Arts, he delivered, by appointment, 
the Latin and Greek Orations. He engaged in teaching 
soon after his graduation, and married Miss Jane Mearns 
of Warwick, October 18, 1832. About this time he 
bought a farm half a mile north of Hartsville, and estab- 
lished a boarding-school in a beautiful location, which 
was soon brought to a very prosperous condition. His 
pupils were much attached to him and made rapid pro- 
gress under his instruction. 

On Saturday afternoon, December 5, 1835, after the 
labors of the school-room were over for the week, he went 
out to the woods a few miles from his home to assist a 
hired man in cutting and gathering fuel, when he was 
struck by a falling limb of a tree and killed. His sudden 
death, when it was known the following day at church, 
caused a deep impression in the minds of the congrega- 
tion of the shortness and uncertainty of life. He was 
universally respected and beloved, and his untimely end 
blasted bright hopes, which had been formed by many, in 
regard to his future usefulness and distinction. 

HUGH MEARNS. 

Hugh Mearns, A. B., was born in Warwick, November 
2, 1801. Having pursued a preparatory course of study 
under Rev. R. B. Belville, he entered Princeton College, 
in 1818, and graduated 1822. His health not proving 
adequate to the pursuit or practice of any of the learned 



192 HISTORY OP 

professions, he devoted himself to agriculture and other 
business at the home of his childhood. He married Miss 
Anne Craven of Warminster. For several years he was 
an Elder in Neshaminy Church, and was esteemed for 
many virtues and sound, correct judgment. In the divis- 
ion of the congregation, in 1838, he took part with those 
who formed the church in Ilartsville. He died much 
lamented, January 11, 1857, aged 55 years. 

REV. AZARTAH PRIOR. 

One of the youth of ITeshaminy was Azariah Prior. He 
was the third son of Gideon and Elizabeth Prior, and was 
born October 23, 1798, in Warminster Township, Bucks- 
County. In his infancy he has baptized in IS'eshaminy 
Church by Rev. Ashbel Green, D. D., who on that occa- 
sion was supplying the pulpit of its Pastor, Rev. JS'athan- 
iel Irwin, absent from home, it is believed, at some ecclesi- 
astical meeting. Mr. G. Prior was expecting to go on the 
next day to Connecticut, and wished to have his little 
son receive the ordinance of baptism before he set out on 
his journey. The boy's rudimental education was com- 
menced in the old log school-house, which stood within 
the present enclosure of the church cemetery, and con- 
cluded in the Street Road school-house about two miles 
distant. In his ninth or tenth year he commenced the 
Latin Grammar with his father, under whose instruction 
he studied the Latin and Greek languages, and was fitted 
for college. Before deciding to obtain a collegiate educa- 
tion he went to Philadelphia to learn the printing busi- 
ness, and while engaged as an apprentice in a printing 



NBSUAMINY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. 193 

office worked upon an edition of Scott's Commentary on 
the Bible in five volumes, a copy of which was bought by 
his father and is now in possession of a member of the 
family in Ohio. Finding that his health sufifered greatly 
from confinement to the printer's case, he returned home 
and resumed his academical studies. By the advice of 
Rev. R. B. Belville, who took much interest in him, he 
entered Jefferson College, Canonsburg, Pa., the President 
of which institution at that time was Rev. Matthew 
Brown, D. D., LL. D. He joined the Sophomore Class in 
1823 and graduated in the Fall of 1826. Being a promi- 
nent member of the Franklin Literary Society, he was 
selected by it as one of the public contestors in 1825, and 
was distinguished by an honor conferred upon him by the 
Faculty and Trustees for the superior merits of his per- 
formance, which was an original oration, over the decla- 
mation of his rival, who was the select orator of the occa- 
sion from the Philo Society. 

After graduating, Mr. Prior took charge of the Acade- 
my at Easton, Pennsylvania, in which position he re- 
mained one year. Then he entered the office of Judge 
Joel Jones, as a law student, and was admitted to the bar 
in the fall of 1829, and immediately commenced legal 
practice. While thus employed he was one of the counsel 
for the defendants in a suit before the Court of isTorth- 
ampton Co., brought by some Englishmen against the 
owners of a whole township of land for possession of the 
tract under some ancient claim. This involved the rights 
of a large number of persons to their homes, and was for- 
tunately decided for the American holders. After prac- 
ticing law two years he was appointed to one of the 



194 HISTORY OF 

public offices of In orthamptou County by G-overnor George 
Wolfi', in which position he remained till the expiration 
of the Governor's second term. The legal profession be- 
ing distasteful to him he had little desire to return to it. 
For years his thoughts had been turned to the sacred 
ministry, and Providence had now clearly opened the way 
for his entrance upon its holy and self-sacrificing duties. 

He had united with the Presbyterian Church of Char- 
tiers, "Washington County, Rev. John McMillan, D. D., 
Pastor, while he was in College, but at this time he was a 
member of the First Presbyterian Church of Easton, 
under the pastoral care of Rev. John Gray, D. D., with 
whom he began to study theology, and at the end of a 
year he was licensed to preach the Gospel by the Presby- 
tery of Kewton, and being called to the Pastorate of the 
Lower Mount Bethel Church, N. J., he was there ordained 
to the full work of the ministry by the same ecclesiasti- 
cal body. He remained one year with the Mount Bethel 
Church, when he accepted a call to the Second Presbyte- 
rian Church, Southwark, Philadelphia, in the autumn of 
1837. Here he prosecuted the work placed in his hands 
three years with diligence and success. During this time 
sinners were converted and led to unite with the people 
of God, and saints were established in the faith. 

At the termination of this period he resigned his con- 
nection with the Presbyterian Church, influenced by a 
variety of considerations, partly of a domestic nature, and 
took orders in the Protestant Episcopal Church. After 
the usual preliminaries he was ordained a Deacon, and 
subsequently a Priest, by Bishop Onderdonk. In the 
year 1843 he received an invitation to go to Milwaukee, 



NESUAMINY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. 195 

WisconsiD, and about the same time was called to the 
Rectorship ot St. David's Church, Manayuak, which is 
now within the consolidated City of Philadelphia. He 
concluded to accept the latter, and remained in that field 
of labor five years. By the blessing of Grod the parish 
grew and prospered. The membership was more than 
trebled, and the congregation increased in a correspond- 
ing ratio ; and the Sabbath School became large, number- 
ing between three and four hundred children ; the result 
of faithful, earnest toil. 

In the year 1848, having occasion to visit a brother 
clergyman in Pottsville, Schuylkill County, he was in- 
duced to take charge of a Female Seminary there, simul- 
taneously receiving an invitation to the Rectorship of 
St. James Church, Schuylkill Haven, which is four miles 
distant from Pottsville. He left Mauayunk in the au- 
tumn of that year, and entered upon the duties of the 
Seminary with those of the Parish at Schuylkill Haven. 
The following circumstance shows the desire of the peo- 
ple of this church for his services. Il^Tot long after taking 
up his residence at Pottsville, he was standing one day at 
the foot of a steep hill not far from the open shaft of a 
coal mine, when a heavy timber becoming accidentally 
loosened from its place rolled violently down upon him and 
broke his leg with a severe compound fracture. He was 
confined to the house by this accident several months, and 
felt devoutly thankful that his life, which had been in 
such fearful danger, was spared. During all this time, 
which was before the commencement of his duties at 
Schuylkill Haven, the congregation, though it was sug- 
gested that they should call some one else, waited for the 



196 HISTORY OF 

recovery of his strength, that he might minister to them 
in holy things. The school in Pottsville succeeded be- 
yond the most sanguine expectations of its patrons and 
friends, and was quite remunerative to its Principal. Find- 
ing his health greatly impaired by excessive work, at the 
expiration of five years he gave up the Seminary, and 
confined himself to the exercise of the ministry of the 
Word. To his principal and central charge at Schuylkill 
Haven, he added two Mission stations. These varied 
labors continued till the year 1860, when in consequence 
of advancing age and family afflictions, resulting in the 
death of his wife, he resigned his parochial charge, pur- 
posing to exercise in the future the duties of his sacred 
profession, as Providence might give him opportunity, 
without pecuniary recompense. With the weight of more 
than seventy years upon him he preaches statedly in St. 
John's Chapel, in Pottsville, connected with which is a 
membership of sixty communicants and a large and flour- 
ishing Sunday School. This is a Mission Chapel of the 
chief Episcopal Church in Pottsville. Mr. Prior resides 
with his only daughter, Mrs. Charles M. Atkins, and per- 
forms much benevolent work as a manager of the Benevo- 
lent Association of the city. 

He married Miss Isabella Adams, only child of Dr. 
Adams, an eminent physician in the North of Ireland. 
She was a highly educated, accomplished, and refined 
lady. 

REV. JACOB BELVILLE, D.D. 

Rev. Jacob Belville, D. D., was born December 12, 
1820. He became a member of l^eshaminy Church in 



NESHAMINY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. 197 

1833, in one of the precious revivals with which the com- 
munity was blessed during the pastorate of his father. 
He graduated with honor at the College of i^ew Jersey, 
Princeton, in 1839, and soon after pursued a course of 
theological study at Princeton Theological Seminary. 
He was settled for a time at Phoenixville, Pa., as Pastor 
of the Presbyterian Church, and also in Maryland. Pe- 
<3eiving and accepting in 1849 a call to the pastorate of 
the Presbyterian Church of Hartsville, Bucks Co., Pa., 
which was composed of the part of the Neshaminy 
Church that withdrew from the original church in 1838, 
lie was installed in that charge, and remained its Pastor 
ten years. In 1850 being associated with Mrs. McElroy, 
^ lady from Lambert ville, K J., in establishing a Female 
Seminary at Hartsville, he purchased the beautiful prop- 
erty in that village, which had formerly belonged to Rev. 
James P. Wilson, Jr., and gave it the name of " Roseland 
Female Seminary." After a year or two he became sole 
proprietor of this institution, and it continued under his 
direction until 1863. During the last two or three years 
•of his residence at Hartsville, he ceased his labors as Pas- 
tor of the Church on account of a failure of his voice. 
Having for the most part recovered his health, in 1864 he 
accepted a call to the pastoral care of the Presbyterian 
Church in Holmesburg, one of the suburbs of Philadel- 
phia, where he remained three or four years, when he was 
called to the church in Mauch Chunk, Pa., and in 1873 
he became, by invitation, the Pastor of the First Presby- 
terian Church in Pottsville, Pa., where he still resides. 
Pie received the degree of Doctor of Divinity from La- 
fayette College at Easton, Pa. 



198 HISTORY OF 

REV. JOHN L. BELVILLB. 

Rev. John L. Belville, a brother of Rev. R. B. Belville, 
was born at or near ITew Castle, Delav^are, in 1801. While 
a young man he resided four and a half years in the fam- 
ily of his brother, at iN'eshaminy, being engaged in study 
and in active labors upon the farm. He v^'^as licensed to 
preach the Gospel by the Presbytery of I^ew Castle, Del., 
and was married in 1828 to Miss Elizabeth Long of iS'e- 
shaminy. About this time he removed to Dayton, Ohio, 
and was subsequent!}^ settled as Pastor of the Presbyterian 
Church at Bellefontaine, Ohio, and at other places. When 
the infirmities of years required, he resigned the duties 
of the pastorate, though he was usefully engaged in 
occasional preaching as long as his strength permitted. 
He is now living among his children in Dayton, two of 
his sons being lawyers in that city. He is reckoned on 
the Minutes of the General Assembly among those who 
have been honorably retired from active work in the 
ministry, but attends meetings of Presbytery when his 
health permits. 

REV. BELVILLE ROBERTS. 

Rev. Belville Roberts was born in the present Town- 
ship of Warrington, Bucks Co., Pa., within the bounds 
of the congregation of ll^eshaminy ; his father, Jonathan 
Roberts, being one of the elders of the church. He was 
deprived of the influence of a pious father's example when 
quite young, that good man being taken away by death 
when he was in his fifth year. Yet, he says in regard to 
him : " My religious impressions and my course of life 



NESHAMINY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. 199 

were determined by the gi'ace of God through the in- 
fluence of parental example. I do not remember a word 
that my father ever spoke to me. I do not even remem- 
ber the cast of his features ; but I do remember hira dis- 
tinctly as bowing down with all of us in family prayer ; 
and after my father's death I remember how my mother 
took up the priestly task, and would regularly read the 
Scriptures, and then bowing down with us would agonize 
for our conversion and salvation." Soon after the decease 
of his father the homestead farm was sold, and the family 
scattered. He lived with his mother till he was sixteen 
years old, and then with neighbors two years as a farm 
hand. In respect to his early training he says : 
■ " My education during this period of my boyhood 
was not regarded with much interest, nor attended to 
with care. Like other farm lads in that community it 
was my lot to work at home or on some adjoining farm for 
nine months of the year, and attend the common school 
three months in the winter. Yet, in those early years 
there was in my mind a growing desire, which developed 
into a fixed purpose, to obtain an education." 

His widowed mother and his brothers, dependent upon 
their own exertions for a maintenance, had not means 
sufficient to give him the advantages he desired, and 
having some relatives in Michigan he determined to go 
to that State. He went to Tecumseh, and entered the 
academy in that town, with a view of preparing for the 
University of Michigan at Ann Arbor. It will be inter- 
esting to many of his friends to see the account of his 
struggles for an education, in his own language, as follows: 

" I then began with enthusiasm my course of prepara- 



200 HISTORY OF 

tory studies, entering the class to which I was assigned. I 
studied with my class, and at the same time studied with 
an advanced class. Thus by close application and hard 
work, often fourteen hours of the day, I was enabled to en- 
ter the University one year in advance of those with whom 
I started. To support myself daring this first struggling 
period, I obtained a little upper room over one of the 
stores in the place, and lived on about seventy-jive cents a 
week. My bill-of-fare was not extensive ; it did not take 
much time in cooking, nor in washing dishes, for I did 
not have many courses. Then again I boarded with my 
brother-in-law, A. Taylor, and worked morning and eve- 
ning for my board. During vacation I would store up 
quite a little sum by handling the scythe and cradle in 
the hay and harvest fields. 

" I entered the University at Ann Arbor, Mich., in 1848, 
and taking the full course graduated in 1852. All through 
these four years I easily maintained the struggle against 
poverty — by energy, industry and will. My diary shows 
how many cords of wood were sawed and split and piled 
at the Professors' houses during the fall and winter 
months of those years, and also the long weary days of 
toil in the harvest fields. 

" In the fall of 1852 I entered Union Theological Semi- 
nary, New York City. In this city the struggle for 
maintenance or support was transferred from the ex- 
ertion of the physical to the intellectual part of our being. 
I easily found opportunities to teach and to sing, which 
brought me in a better income than the labor of my 
hands. After three years of study, of anxious prepara- 
tion, of gladness and joy in that I was numbered among 



NESHAMINY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. 201 

those in the school of the prophets, I was dismissed with 
my class to begin our great life work as co-laborers with 
God in building up his kingdom. 

"When I had completed my course of theological study, 
I found myself so worn and exhausted that I did not at 
once take a pastoral charge. I was invited to the church 
of Stillwater, N. Y., and labored there for nearly two 
years, during which we experienced a precious revival of 
religion. 

"My first settlement as Pastor was at Rochester, N. Y., 
in Calvary Church, where I remained four years ; then on 
account of sickness we removed to Freeport, Illinois, and 
remained there four years. During the pastorate at Free- 
port we had the pleasure of witnessing another powerful 
work of grace. Finally, broken down in health, we re- 
moved from the West to the East." 

Mr. Roberts, after leaving Illinois, was located for a 
time in charge of a church in Wheeling, West Virginia, 
though his health at the time was feeble, and at length 
he was compelled to suspend preaching altogether. He 
came to ^"orristown, Pa., bought a lot, built a house, and 
gradually recovered his physical vigor by out-door exer- 
cise, and freedom from responsibility. Being invited to 
preach for the 2nd Presbyterian Church in IsTorristown, 
he was soon chosen as Stated Supply, and then Pastor. 
This Congregation being very feeble parted with their 
church property in the Borough, and ultimately decided, 
under the leadership of Mr. Roberts, to build a house of 
worship in Bridgeport, opposite Norristown, on the south 
side of the Schuylkill. They have succeeded by the 
blessing of God in erecting a beautiful sanctuary, and 



202 HISTORY OF 

hope to see a large congregation of devout worshippers 
ere long regularly assembling within its walls. 

ROBERT C. BELVILLE. 

Robert C. Belville, son of Rev. R. B. Belville, was born 
in 1828, and was about eleven years old when his father 
resigned the pastoral charge at ISTeshaminy and removed to 
Chester County. He is still remembered by many of the 
congregation as a bright, intelligent boy. Engaging in 
business in Trenton, !N". J., he was appointed, while yet a 
young man, Clerk of the Court of Mercer County, and 
subsequently Clerk of the U. S. District Court, for the 
District, of which Trenton is the centre. These offices he 
filled with credit and honor to himself and great ac- 
ceptance to the Judges and members of the Bar of the 
State of K. J. He was a high toned gentleman and one 
of the most popular men in that State. 

On the 16th of August, 1875, he set out with his wife 
for a tour of rest and recreation to the coast of 'New Eng- 
land. At l^ew York they went on board a steamer for 
Fall River, Mass.; but before the boat left the dock, Mr. 
Belville, supposing he had a few minutes to spare, went 
on shore to send a telegraphic dispatch. Returning in 
haste, he discovered that the steamer had loosed its moor- 
ings, and was a few feet from the wharf. He made a leap 
to reach the deck of the boat, but fell into the river and 
was drowned. Thus, on the same day he left his home 
full of cheerful anticipations, he met with an untimely 
accident which caused his death, and that happy home 



NESHAMINY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. 203 

was darkened with fearful sorrow. A few months after- 
wards his son, William Belville, was appointed to fill the 
vacant place in the U. S. Court, no doubt partly as a 
token of the high appreciation in which his father's 
services were universally held. 



CHAPTER XYII. 

CLOSE OP THE PASTORATE OF REV. R. B. BELVILLE. 

Rev. Mr. Belville was an eloquent preacher, a firm de- 
fender of the doctrines of the Calvinistic system, yet earn- 
est in enforcing practical duty upon his hearers. He was 
endowed with a lively imagination, and a warm emo- 
tional nature, and possessed a command of rich and ap- 
propriate language. In the pulpit and the social prayer 
and conference meeting his ministrations were usually 
well adapted to move the heart, inform the mind, and 
arouse the conscience. He was able in prayer ; on funeral 
occasions his services were peculiarly acceptable ; and in 
sickness and affliction, in joy and sorrow, he was a wel- 
come visitor in the homes of his people. 

In 1837 his health became impaired. Nervous debility 
manifested itself in disease of the throat, which often 
prevented his using his voice in public. He obtained the 



204 HISTORY OF 

assistance of different clergymen in the supply of his pul- 
pit, but permanent restoration to health appearing to him 
at a distance and uncertain, he announced to the Session 
in February, 1838, that he thought it best for the church 
and congregation, and for himself, to tender to Presbytery 
at its spring meeting his resignation of the pastoral 
charge among them. They stated to him in repl}'-, that 
they had heard with pain and grief of his proposed resigna- 
tion, and that they, and as they believed, all the congre- 
gation, were anxious he should defer it at least till 
autumn, in the hope that the summer might effect his 
recovery. In May, however, he felt constrained by the 
advice of physicians, and by his own convictions of duty, 
to renew his request to the Session and people, to unite 
with him in an application to Presbytery to dissolve the 
pastoral relation he had sustained to the church for 
twenty-five years. They urged him still to postpone ac- 
tion upon the matter until the Fall, and in the meantime 
they suggested that he could correspond with the Profes- 
sors of the Theological Seminary in Princeton in regard 
to obtaining a supply for the pulpit for several months. 
In consequence of this correspondence, Rev. George Ely, 
a licentiate of the Presbytery of New Brunswick, IST. J., 
was secured as a regular supply, and he remained with 
the church most of the summer.* 



*Upon completing his engagement with Neshaminy Church, Mr. 
Ely was invited to the pastorate of the Presbyterian Churches of 
Hamilton Square and Dutch Neck, Mercer County, N. J., where he 
labored successfully sixteen years ; when his health failed, and he 
was released from the care of that field. It was hoped that rest 



NESHAMINY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. 205 

In 1837 the number of Elders having been reduced by 
death to three, one of whom, Gideon Prior, was aged and 
infirm, it was deemed important that an addition of four 
or five persons should be made to the Session. At a meet- 
ing of the congregation, February 22, 1838, it was deter- 
mined by vote that five persons be chosen to the ofilce of 
Elder, and the Session nominated Wm. M. White, Wm. 
Jamison, Joseph Carrel, James Weir, and Hugh Mearns, 
who were all elected unanimously. Joseph Carrel not 
deeming it his duty to accept the office, the others were 
ordained as Elders on the second Sabbath of April follow- 
ing. This was about a year after Mr. Belville was dis- 
qualified by a bronchial affection from preaching. The 
subject of electing his successor was much discussed by 
the people, and the nomination of the individuals ulti- 
mately chosen and ordained Elders was probably in- 
fiaenced in a considerable measure by considerations 
pertaining to the choice of another Pastor. 

On the 29th of September, Mr. Belville again expressed 
to the Session his desire that he might be released from 
all pulpit and pastoral duty, and that his relation to the 



and entire relief from ministerial work might prove the means of 
his restoration to physical vigor, but Providence had ordered other- 
wise, and he continued to decline until his death, which took place 
at Hartsville, Pa., at the house of his brother-in-law, Rev. Jacob Bel- 
ville, August 14, 1856. He married Miss Catharine Belville, daugh- 
ter of Rev. R. B. Belville. His son, George Ely, and his daughter, 
Rebecca Ely, subsequently became members of Neshaminy Church, 
the latter of whom married Rev. James L. Amerman, Pastor of the 
Reformed Church, Bergen, N. J. His eldest son, Belville Ely, be- 
came a m^erchant in Cuba, West India Islands. 



206 



HISTORY OF 



church might be severed. They reluctantly concurred in 
his request, and the congregation were summoned to meet 
on October Ist to act upon his resignation, when no 
further opposition to its acceptance was made. 

At the meeting of the Second Presbytery of Philadel- 
phia, in Burlington, K J., October 2d, 1838, the following 
communication and request was made in writing by Mr. 
Belville: 

Dear Brethren: — I am under the painful necessity of asking 
your permission to resign to your care the beloved charge, with 
which I have been happily connected, now for more than twenty- 
five years. 

The painfulness of this act is much alleviated by the fact that 
the separation arises from no disaffection nor dissatisfaction on 
either side ; but from my inability to perform a Pastor's duties, in 
consequence of a distressing disease in my throat, which has con- 
tinued now for eighteen months without any prospect of relief. 

R. B. BELVILLE. 

Mr. William M. White appeared in Presbytery and 
presented the following written communication from the 
congregation of ^eshaminy, viz. : 

" At a meeting of the congregation of I^eshaminy, held 
in the church, Oct. 1, 1838, William R. Blair in the chair, 
and Charles Long, secretary, the following preamble and 
resolutions were adopted : 

Whereas, our beloved Pastor, Eev. E,. B. Belville, has for the last 
eighteen months been afflicted by a disease which has rendered 
him incapable of performing pastoral duties ; and 

Whereas, he has made known to us his determination to Seek 
the dissolution of the relation which he has sustained to us so long 



' NESHAMINY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. 207 

and so happily, and has earnestly requested our concurrence in this 
painful measure ; therefore, 

Resolved, That while we deeply sympathize with him in his affliction , 
and feel that in parting with him, and being deprived of his valued 
services as a minister of Christ, we shall endure a severe bereave- 
ment, we cannot, nevertheless, consistently make opposition to his 
judgment in the matter, but shall endeavor to submit to the decision 
of Presbytery in the case, viewing it as a dispensation of divine 
Providence, in which we are bound to acquiesce. 

Resolved, That we entertain a grateful sense of the laborious and 
faithful manner in which our esteemed Pastor has discharged his 
duties among us for upwards of five and twenty years, and shall 
follow him with our best wishes and kind feelings whithersoever a 
kind Providence shall direct his steps ; and we will hope to see in 
the light of heaven that this mysterious event has been in mercy 
to the parties immediately concerned, and for the glory of Him 
who worketh all things after the counsel of His own will. 

On motion. Resolved, That William M. White and Samuel Craven, 
be the Commissioners to forward these proceedings to Presbytery. 

WILLIAM E. BLAIE, 

Attest, C. Long, Secretary." Chairman. 

The Presbytery proceeded to consider the above ap- 
plication of Mr. Belville, when it was resolved that while 
the Presbj^tery deeply sympathize with their beloved 
brother and the congregation in the affliction with 
which they have been visited, they feel that the indi- 
cations of Providence are plain. 

Resolved, That the pastoral relation of the Eev. Eobert B. Bel- 
ville to the congregation of Neshaminy be, and it is hereby dis- 
solved, this dissolution to take effect on the 1st day of November 
ensuing. 

C. VAN EENSALEAR, 

John McDowell, 1 p. . „ Moderator. 

John Mason. | <-^erks. 



208 HISTORY OF 

Mr, Belville remained at his home near the church till 
the Spring of 1839, when, having sold his farm to Capt. 
Charles Dixey, of Philadelphia, he removed to Lancaster 
Co., Pa., where he resided four years, hoping still to re- 
gain the use of his voice. He then purchased a property 
near St. George's, Delaware, to which he removed in 1843. 
In 1845 he went to Cincinnati as a Commissioner to the 
General Assembly. At the close of its sessions he visited 
Dayton, Ohio, where some of his relatives lived ; but dur- 
ing this visit he was taken sick of bilious fever, and died 
after an illness of one week ; aged fifty-five years. His 
remains lie interred in the Cemetery at Dayton. 

The following inscription is on his tomb : 

HERE REST THE REMAINS OP 

Eev. EGBERT B. BELVILLE. 

He was 25 years Pastor of the Presbyterian Church of 
Neshaminy, Bucks Co., Penn. Beloved and eminently 
useful among the people of his charge. Being obliged by 
ill health to give up the Pulpit, he removed to the State of 
Delaware in 1843, and came to Cincinnati as a Delegate to 
the General Assembly of 1845 from the Presbytery of New 
Castle. After the adjournment of the Assembly, while on 
a visit to his friends in this place, he was called by death 
to the General Assembly of the first born above. 

Died .Tune 28, 1845. 

Aged 55. 

The pen of inspiration has written his epitaph. 

"blessed are the dead, who die in the lord."^ 



NESHAMINY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. 209 



CHAPTER XVITI. 

DIVISION OF THE CHURCH. — ELECTION OF A PASTOR. 

In consequence of the fact that Rev. Mr. Belville was 
unable for a year and a half previous to his release from 
the Church to fulfil the duties of a Pastor, the minds of 
the congregation were prepared to choose his successor 
much sooner than they would otherwise have been. In- 
deed it seemed desirable to many, that the vacancy should 
be filled as soon as Providence opened the way. Accord- 
ingly a petition was presented to the Session, signed by 
about ninety individuals, requesting them to call a meet- 
ing of the congregation to elect a Pastor. The Session 
acceded to the request, and fixed upon ITovember 15, 
1838, as a suitable day, and invited Rev. C. C. Cuyler, 
D. D., of Philadelphia, to be present and preside as Mod- 
erator of the meeting. After due notice had been given 
to the people, the meeting was held on the day specified ; 
and alter a sermon from Dr. Cuyler the election took 
place. William Carr was chosen secretary. 

In the absence of any provision in the charter of the 
charch prescribing who should vote, the Moderator de- 
cided, that according to the Form of Government, Chap. 
15th, Section 4th, the communicants and contributors are 
alone entitled to vote in the election of Pastor. William 



210 HISTORY OF 

H. Long, Robert McKinstry, and William R. Blair, were 
appointed tellers. 

James P, Wilson, son of Rev. James P. Wilson, D. D., 
formerly Pastor of the 1st Presbyterian Church of Phila- 
delphia, a licentiate of the 2nd Presbytery of Philadel- 
phia, was nominated for the pastoral office ; and upon 
counting the votes there appeared to be 102 votes for Mr. 
Wilson, and 96 blank. 

The Form of Government, Chap. 15th, Section 6th, di- 
rects, that " when the votes are taken, if it appear that a 
large minority of the people are averse from the candidate 
who has a majority of voles, and cannot be induced to 
concur in the call, the presiding minister shall endeavor 
to dissuade the congregation from prosecuting it further." 
In obedience to this injunction the Moderator, finding 
that the minority would not concur in the choice of Mr. 
Wilson, used earnest endeavors to lead the people to unite 
upon some one else, or to defer decisive action till a future 
time. Meeting with no success in his efforts, he pro- 
ceeded to prepare a call in due form for the signature of 
the people or their representatives. James Horner, Joseph 
Carrell, Joseph Carr, Robert McKinstry, and Joseph Hart, 
were appointed a Committee to sign the call in behalf of 
the congregation, and to prosecute it before the Second 
Presbytery of Philadelphia. James Horner, at his own 
request, was excused from serving on the Committee, and 
William H. Long was substituted in his place. 

At a meeting of the 2nd Presbyterj^ of Philadelphia, 
held December 11, 1838, in the Second Presbyterian 
Church of Philadelphia, the commissioners appeared with 
the call properly certified, and asked that, if the way were 



NESHAMINY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. 211 

clear, Mr. Wilson might be ordained and installed as the 
Minister of the people of Neshaminj. A remonstrance 
against his installation in that office was also presented 
by representatives of the minority, setting forth, that " it 
"was evident to the minds of most of the Session, that'at 
the election for Pastor several illeg-al votes had been 
given ; and that as out of one hundred and ninety-eight 
votes, being the whole number given, Mr. Wilson had 
a majority of six votes only, it was considered very doubt- 
ful, whether he had a majority of legal votes." The 
commissioners and those who favored Mr. Wilson, thought 
that he had a clear majority, and that some of the votes 
cast in opposition to him were illegal. 

The Presbytery, after deliberating upon the case, deter- 
mined that it was unwise to put the call into his hands, and 
declined to take measures for his ordination ; and they 
urged the congregation, through their representatives, to 
hold another election, and unite upon some one who 
would be acceptable to all. At the request of the Ses- 
sion, all but one of whom (Gideon Prior) were among 
the remonstrants, the Presbytery appointed supplies for 
the vacant pulpit. 

The members of Presbytery thus appointed preached 
regularly in the church until January 27, 1839. Mean- 
time, a majority of the Board of Trustees, one of the 
Elders, and many of the congregation, being anxious that 
Mr. Wilson should be set over them in the Lord, a peti- 
tion was circulated for the signatures of those who desired 
that the Session would call a congregational meeting, with 
a view to choosing him as Pastor. On the first of Janu- 
ary this petition, signed by eighty-four individuals, was 



212 HISTORY OF 

* presented to the Session, at its meeting held at the house 
of Elder James Horner. The petitioners claimed to be a 
majority of the pew-holders in the congregation. The 
Session did not act upon the petition that day, hut de- 
ferred action till another meeting held January 5th, at 
the house of Elder Hugh Mearns, when they resolved, 
that "in their judgment it will not conduce to peace and 
unity to convene another meeting of the congregation for 
the election of a Pastor so soon after the recent election, 
and the action of the Presbytery thereon. The divided 
state of opinion in the congregation on this subject for- 
bids the hope of a more favorable result at present from 
another meeting." 

On the 7th of January the Board of Trustees met, and 
a majority of them, five out of nine, passed a resolution, 
that " Whereas, it is known to be the wish of a majority 
of this congregation, that Rev. James P. Wilson should 
have the use of the church for public worship ;" and 
" Whereas, the Session in defiance of the plainly expressed 
wishes of the congregation " have given the possession of 
the pulpit to others ; " and have refused to call a congre- 
gational meeting, when petitioned by a majority of the 
voters of the congregation ;" therefore, " Resolved, that 
the use of the church for the object above mentioned from 
and after the 14th inst. be and it is hereby tendered to 
the Rev. James P. Wilson, to the exclusion of all others." 
The Sexton, Amos Torhert, sympathized with the ma- 
jority of the Trustees : he held the key of the church, 
and when the Session demanded the key, that the house 
might be opened for the supply sent by Presbytery, he, 
acting under instructions from the Trustees, refused to 
surrender it. However, the pulpit was occupied by the 



NESHAMINY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. 213 

Presbyterial supply two or three Sabbaths beyond the 
date, to which the use of it by these supplies was limited 
by the Trustees. The clergymen sent by Presbytery 
were requested by the Session not to read notices of meet- 
ings of the Congregation for any other purpose than pub- 
lic worship, except as they were directed to do it by the 
Session. 

Those among the people who were favorable to Mr. 
Wilson, believing that the Second Presbytery would not 
reconsider the determination they had expressed in refus- 
ing to put a call into his hands, and that they would not 
ordain him over the congregation, thought it might be 
best to transfer the relations of the church to another 
Presbytery. With this in view, by direction of the ma- 
jority of the Board of Trustees, some one after service on 
Sabbath, January 27, 1839, announced before the people 
had left the house, that there would be a congregational 
meeting on Thursday, January 31st, to test the wishes of 
the church and congregation in regard to withdrawal from 
the Second Presbytery, which was then Old School, and 
joining the Third Presbytery of Philadelphia, which was re- 
cently formed in connection with the ]^ew School Assem- 
bly. The supply sent by Presbytery then read from the 
pulpit a protest, previously prepared by Session, against 
the proposed meeting. N'ot withstanding this protest the 
meeting was held January 31st, Robert Ramsey being 
chairman, and Wm. H. Long and Joseph Hart, secreta- 
ries, and that part of the congregation, who desired Mr. 
Wilson as Pastor, voted unanimously to leave the Second 
Presbytery, and apply for admission into the Third. Be- 
fore this was done, a delegate of the Session, who was 
present, read by their direction a paper, in which it was 



214 HISTORY OF 

attempted to show the illegality and impropriety of this 
action. IsTo notice was taken of these protests, though 
respectful attention was given to them while they were 
read. After voting to change their Presbyterial relations, 
the meeting passed a resolution, that the call previously 
given to Mr. Wilson to be the Pastor of the church, be 
presented by the commissioners named in it to the Third 
Presbytery, and that the Presbytery be requested to re- 
ceive the church under its care, and install Mr. Wilson 
over it. 

Previous to February 10th, the whole congregation had 
worshipped together on the Lord's day, and the services 
had been conducted by the Presbyterial supply. But on 
that day Mr. Wilson, as he had been requested to do by 
the Trustees, occupied the pulpit. ]S"ot long after he had 
taken his seat, Rev. William D. Howard, the appointee 
of the Second Presbytery of Philadelphia, appeared in 
the church, and James Horner, the Moderator of the Ses- 
sion, rose and demanded the pulpit for him in the name 
of the Session. No response and no movement to vacate 
the pulpit being made by Mr. Wilson, Mr. Howard pub- 
licly protested against his conduct in retaining possession 
of the sacred desk in opposition to the wishes of the Ses- 
sion, and, as he claimed, a majority of the people. The 
Moderator of the Session then read a remonstrance against 
the course of the Trustees in the matter, and, as had been 
previously arranged, gave an invitation to all persons 
who sympathized with the Session, to retire to the school- 
house in the grave-yard, and hold worship there, declaring 
at the same time that they did not relinquish nor forfeit 
their right to the use of the church and all the property 
appertaining to it. 



NESHAMINY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. 215 

They accordingly, in number about one hundred and 
forty, as is said, went from the meeting-house to the 
school-house, and had religious services there. This was 
the end of the union of the two parts of the congregation 
in the exercises of the sanctuary. The division, begun in 
feeling and sentiment months before, was consummated 
that day. For several years afterwards there was much 
bitterness and animosity on the part of some on the one 
side towards some on the„ other. But time does much 
toward healing such wounds. 

At the meeting of the Third Presbytery of Philadel- 
phia, which was held about the middle of February, the 
Neshaminy Church of Warwick, by request of the Com- 
missioners previously appointed, was taken under the 
care of the Presbytery and its name enrolled on the list of 
its churches. The call for the services of Mr. J. P. Wilson 
as Pastor, being found in order, was put into his hands, 
and by him accepted. Appropriate arrangements were 
made, and on February 26th, 1839, he was ordained and 
installed at IsTeshaminy. 

Meanwhile the part of the congregation who were op- 
posed to Mr. Wilson, and who remained with the Second 
Presbytery of Philadelphia, though they had withdrawn 
from the worship maintained in the church, still did not 
abandon the claim to the building and all the property 
belonging to the corporation. They asserted that they 
were a majority of the congregation ; that all but one of 
the members of the Session were with them ; and that 
they were unjustly deprived of the privilege of assembling 
in the meeting-house under their chosen officers and 
spiritual guides. Hence, they instituted a suit at law 



216 HISTORY OF 

/ 

against the Sexton and Trustees of the church under the 
pastoral care of Mr. "Wilson for possession of the house of 
worship. This suit was brought before the Court of 
Common Pleas of Bucks County, sitting in Doylestown, 
in September, 1841. After testimony had been taken by 
counsel on both sides from several witnesses, it was pro- 
posed to settle the case by compromise before it was 
passed to the jury, and an adjustment was agreed upon in 
the following terms : 

In the Common Pleas of Bucks County. 

No. 41. September, 1841. 

Summons in Ejectment. 

The Trustees of the Presbyterian Church in the Township of War- 
wick, in the County of Bucks, for the use of the Minister, Elders 
and Members of said Church, 

versus, 

Amos Torbert, Tenant, William Long, Jr., Joseph Hart, William 
H. Long, John Polk, Samuel McNair, Eobert Darrah, Eobert 
Ramsey, Andrew Long, Jr., and Robert McKinstry, claiming to 
be the Trustees of the Presbyterian Church, in Warwick Town- 
ship, in the Countj^ of Bucks, Landlord- 

September 22, 1841. Jury discharged by consent, and the fol- 
lowing agreement entered of record : and by consent the jury 
discharged, and the cause settled on the following principles : 

The Church, and ground thereunto attached, to be sold at public 
sale on the 21st day of October next, the bidders to be the respect- 
ive claimants in this suit. The purchasers to pay the other party 
one-half of the purchase money within sixty days thereafter, when 
full and entire possession is to be delivered to the purchasers of 
the Church and Church lot. The grave-j^ard is to remain in com- 
mon forever to those and their descendants and their succes- 
sors, who have a right to bury there at this time, each party to 



NESHAMINY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. 217 

employ their own sexton. The personal property to be equally 
divided. The act of Incorporation to follow the building. 

Joel K. Mann is appointed to superintend the sale and to settle 
any dispute respecting the personal property, and whose award 
shall be final. In case Mr. Mann cannot attend, Charles Lom- 
baert, Esq., is to be an Alternate. Each party to pay their own 
costs, and the docket costs to be equally divided. 

Mr. "Wilson's congregation met September 30, 1841, 
and passed resolutions expressing full confidence in their 
Trustees, and their belief that they would do what was 
best for their common interests in regard to purchasing 
the church and the lot around it ; and their satisfaction 
and gratitude that the suit had been terminated by an 
amicable settlement. They also 

" Resolved, That Rev. J. P. Wilson, James G. Thom- 
son, William Oarr, and ITathan McKinstry be a com- 
mittee to address a conciliatory letter to those who have 
separated from us." 

William Long, Jr., Robert Darrah, Joseph Hart, and 
Robert McKinstry were appointed to carry out the views 
of the congregation by attending the sale, and buying 
the church property, if the price should fall within 
proper limits. 

The sale was made on the 21st of October, and the 
highest bid was from the congregation of Mr. Wilson, 
who had been alone statedly worshipping in the church 
for nearly three years subsequent to the division. The 
sum at which the property was bid off, was six thousand 
dollars. Half of this was paid to the other party, and 
the personal property was divided equally between the 
two parties, under the supervision of a committee from 



218 HISTORY OF 

each Board of Trustees. Included in the personal prop- 
erty were some funds at interest, which were equitably 
divided. With the money thus obtained, and some 
money raised by subscription, the Old School party built, 
in 1842, a neat stone church in Hartsville, in which they 
have worshipped since that time. The Pastors of that 
congregation, for which a Charter was obtained in 1842, 
have been since the division, Rev. Thomas B. Bradford, 
Rev. Henry R. Wilson, D. D., Sen., Rev. Jacob Belville, 
Rev. A. M. Woods, and Rev. G. H. Kimmo ; and Rev. 
John McCluskey, D.D., supplied the pulpit about a year 
and a half. 



CHAPTER XIX. 

PASTORATE OF REV. J. P. WILSON. 

In consequence of the withdrawal from the Neshaminy 
Church in Warwick of the following Elders, viz.: Hugh 
Mearns, James Horner, Samuel Craven, James Weir, Wil- 
liam Jamison, and William White, there remained of the 
original Session only Gideon Prior. It became necessary 
therefore to elect others to fill the vacancy. At a congre- 
gational meeting held March 28, 1839, Joseph Carrel], 
Joseph Carr, and IlTathan McKinstry were elected, and 



NESHAMINY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. 219 

soon after duly installed as Elders, by prayer and the right 
hand of fellowship. 

In 1842 it was deemed advisable by the Trustees to 
repair and remodel the meeting-house, and the congrega- 
tion heartily concurred in the plan. The building 
accordingly was thoroughly renovated. The square win- 
dows on the sides were removed, and long Gothic windows 
were substituted in their stead ; a large window of the 
same style was placed in the end back of the pulpit ; two 
small doors in the front end gave place to a single large 
one ; and a vestibule was made, which should contain the 
stairs leading to the gallery. The church was also beau- 
tifully painted within and without, and refurnished. 
When the improvements were all completed, it presented 
the appearance of a new edifice, and was in fact quite 
dissimilar and far superior to its former self. The whole 
expense of the work was more than $2000. 

Almost immediately after Mr. Wilson's ordination an 
increased attendance on the ministrations of the Word 
was visible, and at successive communions persons pro- 
fessed their faith in Christ, and were incorporated with 
his visible people. 

An unusual degree of interest on the subject of re- 
ligion manifested itself in the congregation in 1840, 
during which year fifty-two persons were hopefully con- 
vei'ted and admitted to the fellowship of the church. In 
the early part of 1845 a gracious season of revival was 
enjoyed by the church, as one result of which fifty-four 
persons were received by the Session on examination, at 
the communion in May. 

In regard to this work of divine grace the Pastor 



220 HISTORY OF 

recorded these remarks in the Book of Sessional Records : 

REMARKS. 

" Fifty-four additions in all at the communion in May, 
1845, the fraits of a glorious Revival of Religion in the 
congregation and vicinity. Behold I w^hat hath God 
v^rought ! Glorious and blessed be His holy name forever 
and ever! 

" This revival was characterized by great stillness and 
power. The Synod of Pennsylvania appointed a day of 
humiliation, fasting, and prayer throughout their bounds, 
in view of the low state of religion in all their churches. 
This day was in January, 1845. By some mishap the day 
passed unnoticed by us ; and we resolved to appoint an- 
other day two weeks distant, as a day of humiliation, &c. 
for our own church particularly. There was a general 
disposition among our church members to unite in fervent 
supplication to Almighty God for his blessing on the an- 
ticipated meeting. All felt that something must be done. 
Few came to the solemn feasts. 

" The day came. The Pastor conducted the morning 
service, and during the intermission of half an hour. Dr. 
E. S. Ely, who was expected earlier, came. He preached 
in the afternoon. The Pastor urged on Christians 
their obligations, and the necessity that the whole church 
should unite in fervent secret prayer for a divine blessing. 
Christians seemed to feel much. All difficulties were 
removed ; secular work was suspended ; private jealousies 
and heart-burnings were healed over ; and the injured 
persons generally were reconciled to the injurers. 'If 
thy brother hath aught against thee, go,' &c. 

" The intention of the Pastor a month previously was 



NESHAMINY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. 221 

to make the fast day the commencement of a series of 
meetings for several days. Dr. Ely preached again on, 
Thursday evening, and returned to the city on Friday 
morning. The Pastor preached on Friday evening, and 
on Saturday evening, and three times on Sunday, and on 
Monday afternoon. On Monday afternoon. Dr. Joel 
Parker, of Philadelphia, came, and preached that evenings 
and every afternoon and evening during the week, and 
three times on Sabbath, while the Pastor went down and 
supplied his pulpit on that day in the city. 

" The meetings continued with increasing interest. On 
Thursday evening an invitation was given for any wha 
wished to be prayed for particularly, to come out at the 
close of the session and take the front seats ; nine came 
forward ; on the next evening, seventeen more ; on Satur- 
day evening, thirty-two ; on Sunday evening, forty-eight. 
On Monday morning Dr. Parker returned to the city, and 
the Pastor preached every evening that week, and every 
other evening, alternately, the following week. Each 
public service was preceded by a public prayer-meeting in 
the church. Enquiry meetings were held every afternoon 
from 3 to 5 o'clock, and all the anxious were requested to 
attend that meeting. 

" The meetings were continued in the church two even- 
ings in the week until the month of May. The converts 
were assembled together frequently and addressed, in 
order to instruct them and relieve their doubts, &c., prev- 
ious to communion and reception into church-fellowship. 

ADDENDA. 

" 1. The meetings were always dismissed before 
10 o'clock, P. M., and the usual order of public servicer 



222 HISTORY OF 

was at no time interrupted, not even a prayer, or hj-mn, 
or reading the Scriptures omitted once. 

" 2. The sermons were generally doctrinal^ the only 
foundation for duty ; the sovereignty of God was 
preached, and the duty of immediate submission. 

" 3. All the converts who were heads of families, 
engaged at once in the performance of the duty of family 
prayer, and there seemed to be on the part of all a wil- 
lingness to do their duty. 

" 4. There was no difficulty in speaking to any one on 
the subject of personal religion. Sinners seemed to desire 
religious conversation, and manifested no disposition to 
shun it. 

" 6. It is remarkable, that in this revival, all those who 
had long been hesitating and loitering, as it were, 
around the gate of heaven, and who, every one thought, 
would be the first subjects, all of these were without an ex- 
ception passed by. May God in His infinite mercy reach 
them yet ! 

"6. The anxious were not, as it were, put into a pew 
and kept there, while Christians went out to convert 
others, but they were immediately put to work, while 
their hearts were warm, and they were informed that 
much of the burden of the work must now be done by 
them ; they were not sufifered to stagnate. 

" 7. One great and most useful and important instru- 
mentality was unavoidably omitted, faithful and regular 
visitation of all the families of the congregation, which 
should never be omitted, both previously and during the 
meeting. 

" It was deemed proper to make the above brief re- 
cord of a most gracious outpouring of the Holy Spirit : 



NESHAMINY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. 223 

the only revival that occurred in the Synod of Pennsyl- 
vania, and perhaps in the whole church, during a long 
period of coldness. 
May 10, 1845. JAMES P. WILSON." 

During his pastorate, Mr. Wilson baptized, adults 75 ; 
infants 96. 

In the spring of 1847, Mr. Wilson was chosen by the 
Board of Trustees of Delaware College at Newark, Del., 
President of that Institution, and regarding that posi- 
tion as a more important field of labor, which would 
afford opportunities for more extended usefulness, after 
mature deliberation he accepted it, and resigned his 
charge at ]!!^eshaminy, much to the regret of his congre- 
gation. They were warmly attached to him ; the church 
was in a flourishing condition, and it would have been 
a source of gratification on many accounts to him to have 
remained with those, among whom he commenced his 
work in the ministry. But the voice of Providence 
seemed clearly to indicate that he should be at the head 
of a Seminary of learning which was then struggling with 
many difliculties. 

The meeting of the congregation to receive his resigna- 
tion took place June 30, 1847. Dr. James S. Rich was 
appointed Moderator, and Wm. H. Long, Esq., Secretary. 

The following Committee was appointed to draft reso- 
lutions expressive of the feelings of the congregation on 
the occasion, viz.: George Jamison, Mahlon Long, Robert 
Ramsey, Joseph Oarrell and Jacob H. Rogers, Esq., who 
reported the following preamble and resolutions, which 
were unanimously adopted : 



224 HISTORY OF 

Whereas, Our Pastor, the Rev. James P. Wilson, has felt himself 
called in the Providence of God to labor in a different part of 
Christ's vineyard, and has therefore requested to be dismissed from 
us, we waive all personal and selfish considerations, which would 
prompt us to retain him, and comply with his request, though to 
us it is a painful task to sever the tie which has united us in so 
tender a relation. Therefore, 

Resolved, That this Congregation receive the resignation of our 
Pastor with unfeigned regret, arising from our attachment and love, 
but feel it a duty we owe to the literary institutions of our country, 
to accede to the wishes of the patrons of DelaAvare College, who 
have unanimously elected Mr. Wilson to preside over that Institu- 
tion. 

Resolved, That the departure of our Pastor from us on the present 
occasion deeplj'' impresses on us the recollection of his untiring 
efforts to promote the spiritual welfare of this branch of the vine 
of the kingdom of Christ, and his sincere desire to lead us to dwell 
in the house of the Lord all the days of our lives, to behold the 
beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in his temple. 

Resolved, That we congratulate our Pastor upon the sufficient 
evidence of his industry and usefulness among us, afforded by the 
increase of living witnesses of the truth during his ministration ; 
the attachment and affection prevailing among the congregation^ 
the beauty of the church edifice ; the general and constant attend- 
ance at places of public worship, and the elevated tone of religious, 
literary, and moral sentiment prevailing in the community. 

Resolved, That we tender to our Pastor our most earnest wishes 
for his spiritual and temporal welfare, and sincerely desire that 
before the throne of grace and in his own heart we still may be 
held in affectionate remembrance. 

Messrs. Natban McKinstry, Joseph Carrell and Joseph 
Carr were appointed Commissioners to carry the resigna- 
tion of the Pastor, and the acceptance of it by the congre- 
gation, to the Presbytery. 

The dissolution of Mr. Wilson's pastoral relation to the 



NESHAMINY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. 225 

Churcli at Neshaminy was made by the Fourth Presbytery 
of Philadelphia, to take effect June 30, 1847. 

He remained at the head of the College in Delaware 
three years, when he was called to the pastorate of the 
Central Presbyterian Church, IsTorthern Liberties, Phila- 
delphia. Here he was highly esteemed for his work's 
sake. The congregation grew and flourished under his 
care ; but at the expiration of three years, he was sum- 
moned by the Trustees of Union Theological Seminary, in 
IN'ew York City, to take the Chair of Professor of Didactic 
and Polemic Theology. Preferring, however, the labors of 
the Pastor, he remained in this Professorship but three 
years, when he was invited to the charge of a newly- 
formed congregation, called the " South Park Presbyte- 
rian Church," in l!Tewark, E". J., where he has been 
successfully devoting his energies to the upbuilding of 
Christ's kingdom for the past nineteen years. 

He received the degree of Doctor of Divinity from the 
University of Pennsylvania in 1848. 



226 HISTORY OF 



CHAPTER XX. 



BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 



JOSEPH HART. 



One of the members of the congregation, of whom it 
seems proper to speak particularly, was Joseph Hart. He 
was the son of Col. William Hart, and was born in Harts- 
ville (which village was named for his family) in 1792. 
He filled the post of Deputy Clerk of the Orphan's Court 
of Bucks County for several years, while the County 
Offices were at IsTewtown, and was then esteemed a very 
correct and upright young man. He married Miss Mary 
Carr of Hartsville, and having been engaged in mer- 
cantile business in Philadelphia for a considerable period, 
he at length permanently fixed his residence in the former 
place, the home of his childhood and youth, and super- 
intended the cultivation of his farm. He was one of the 
Trustees of !Neshaminy Church, repeatedly re-elected for 
many terms, and its Treasurer from 1841 to 1860, when 
he resigned the office, ill health and the infirmities of 
years requiring release from all unnecessary care. He left 
in his will $100 to aid in the construction of a sidewalk 



NESHAMINY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. 227 

from Hartsville to the Neshaminy Church, provided the 
work were finished within two years after his death, and 
the legacy mentioned in the following codicil : 

I give and bequeath $200 to be expended for a marble slab to 
commemorate the History of said Church with its Pastors, and any 
other incidents that may be considered necessary, important or in- 
teresting, and that the Eev. J. P. Wilson and Eev. D. K. Turner 
prepare the said history, and direct where it shall be placed in 
the church, and my will is that the said $200 be paid to the 
Trustees of said church, that they render all the aid necessary 
in placing it in the church. 

The monumental slab, thus provided for, was placed in 
the vestibule of the church, opposite the front door, not 
many months after Mr. Hart's death. He was a warm 
friend of the church, and a constant attendant upon the 
ministrations of the sanctuary, even to extreme age. In 
the repairs and improvements of the meeting-house and 
the grave-yard, his taste and sound judgment were 
much sought and relied upon by the Trustees ; and in the 
management of the finances of the congregation he was 
careful, accurate and conscientious. He died ISTovember 
4, 1872, aged 82 years. 

WILLIAM CARR. 

Another of the prominent men of Neshaminy Congre- 
gation was William Carr. He was born in Warwick, 
September 12, 1789, and was admitted to the communion 
of the church during the remarkable religious interest in 
1822. He was first elected a Trustee of the church in 
1819, and served in that office for a number of years, and 



228 HISTORY OF 

as Treasurer for a short period. Being appointed by 
Governor Wolff, of Pennsylvania, in 1831, Clerk of the 
Orphan's Court, he removed to Doylestown, and after his 
term had expired he was employed in other capacities in 
the public offices there a long time. A member in high 
standing in the Masonic Order, he became interested in 
the erection of the Masonic Hall in Chestnut street, Phil- 
adelphia, and upon transferring his residence to that city, 
he v^^as employed to superintend that important work. 
Subsequently he resided in Ailentown, Pa., where he 
passed the last years of his life, and died March 10, 1872, 
in the 83d year of his age. He was faithful to all the 
trusts reposed in his hands ; and a man of more than 
usual information, particularly upon the history of his 
own country and the local annals of the region in which 
he lived. His interest in the church at Neshaminy was 
never lost, and among his latest acts was sending from 
Ailentown a donation to the Trustees to aid in repairing 
the house in which he had so often in former years 
worshipped. 

ROBERT DARRAH. 

Robert Darrah was born in ISTew Britain Township, 
February 8, 1789. He was the son of James Darrah, and 
grandson of Capt. Henry Darrah, who was commander of 
a company of soldiers in the Revolutionary War. When 
Robert was a boy, his father moved from New Britain to 
the farm in Warminster, once owned and occupied by Rev. 
Charles Beatty, one of the pastors of ISTeshaminy Church. 
Here he passed most of his life. During the war of 1812, 
with Great Britain, he served in the American army. 



NESHAMINY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. 229 

being in Delaware several months, to oppose a threatened 
attack by the British upon Philadelphia. He married 
Miss Catharine Gait of Lancaster Co., Pa., and both the 
parents took a deep interest in the education of their 
<3hildren, as they grew up around them. He felt the im- 
portance of knowledge and mental training to the young, 
and built a school-house on his own grounds, which was 
afterwards enlarged, and in connection with Joseph Hart 
^nd others he provided a teacher, from New England or 
hii own neighborhood, year after year for a long period. 
This school was of a high grade, in which several of the 
teachers were graduates of Yale or other colleges, and the 
Classics, French, and the higher branches of Mathematics 
were thoroughly taught. A number of young men from 
the vicinity were prepared in it for college, and many 
young ladies and gentlemen went forth from its humble 
walls to engage in teaching common schools. 

Mr. Darrah was a liberal supporter of the Gospel, one 
of the Trustees of l!^eshaminy Church from 1841 to the 
time of his death, and frequently president of the Board. 
He did much by his credit, generosity, and personal influ- 
ence, at the period of the division in the congregation, to 
secure the purchase of the church property for that part 
of the people who adhered to Rev. James P. Wilson. 
When the church edifice was remodeled, in 1842, no one did 
more than he by his own labor, his horses and wagons, 
and his contributions, to bring the enterprise to a success- 
ful conclusion. Being an industrious and energetic 
farmer he accumulated a considerable estate, and always 
used his means in the interest of morality, temperance, 
education, and religion. In 1850 he built a house on the 



230 HISTORY OF 

eastern part of his property near Hartsville for his own 
residence, where he died August 5, 1860, aged 70 j^ears. 

DR. JAMES S. RICH. 

Dr. James S. Rich, born in 1795, pursued the study of 
medicine in the University of Pennsylvania in Philadel- 
phia, and was admitted to practice and received the degree 
of M. D., when about twenty-four years of age. He 
almost immediately established himself as a physician in 
the vicinity of Doylestown, Bucks Co., and built up a 
large, lucrative and successful practice, in which he was 
engaged for more than twenty years, when declining 
health obliged him to relinquish the active duties of his 
profession for eight years. Being restored to comfortable 
health by a kind Providence, he received the appointment 
from the City of Philadelphia of Physician at the Laza- 
retto on the Delaware river, below the City, and con 
tinned in the faithful and laborious fulfilment of the 
responsibilities of that position three years, when he re- 
moved to Church ville, Bucks Co., and entered upon the 
practice of his profession there. For more than twenty 
years he resided in that place, useful, respected, and 
honored as an excellent physician, and an unusually intel- 
ligent citizen. During the last four or five years of his 
life the infirmities of age prevented his going much from 
home to attend the sick. He first made a public profes- 
sion of religion at the Central Presbyterian Church, 
Northern Liberties, Philadelphia, Rev. Anson Rood, Pas- 
tor, from which he transferred his membership by letter 
to Neshaminy Church, January 9, 1846. His death 



NESHAMINY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. 231 

occurred March 8, 1875, when he was eighty years of age. 
A noble man was removed when his spirit took its flight. 

JAMES A. DARRAH. 

During the pastorate of Mr. Wilson, James A. Darrah, 
son of Robert Darrah, was one of the young men under 
his care who afterwards became a Minister of the Gospel 
in the Presbyterian Church. He was born in Warmins- 
ter, near Hartsville, on the property which once be- 
longed to Rev. Charles Beatty, in the year 1821. 
He united with Neshaminy Church in youth ; prepared 
for college at schools in the neighborhood of his home, 
and after pursuing the usual course of study at Nassau 
Hall, Princeton, graduated at that institution in 1840. 
He had his mind turned during most of the years of his 
academical and collegiate course toward the practice of 
Law, and with that in view he became a student in the 
office of Judge Fox, in Doylestown, and was admitted to 
the bar as an attorney, September 9th, 1843. But not 
feeling satisfied that he was in the path of duty in this 
profession, and his heart prompting him to preach the 
everlasting Gospel, he entered the Theological Seminary 
of Yale College, ISTew Haven^ Conn., and was there most 
of three years, being meantime licensed to preach by the 
Fourth Presbytery of Philadelphia, September 23, 1846. 
For some months after the close of the regular curriculum 
of study he labored as a Missionary in the vicinity of 
Winchester, Virginia, and then bent his steps toward 
Missouri ; the " Great West " seeming to call upon him 
to take part in shaping its destinies. About that time 



232 HISTORY OF 

it was desired to establish a College near St. Louis, at 
Rockhill, which was subsequently called " "Webster Col- 
lege," after the great " expounder of the Constitution." 
Mr. Darrah was invited to become Stated Supply of the 
Rockhill Presbyterian Church, and to be Principal of the 
Preparatory Department of the College. Having been 
ordained by the Presbj^tery of St. Louis, October 3, 1849, 
he labored here faithfully and successfully in connection 
with the Church and College nine years. In the course 
of Providence, after supplying the church in Troy, Illi- 
nois, for a short period, he was called to the pastorate of 
the Presbyterian Church in West Ely, Missouri. When 
he went to this place, the farm formerly owned by Rev. 
Ezra Stiles Ely, D. D., and the house which the Doctor 
built on it for his own residence, were for sale. The 
dwelling was one of several unusually good houses which 
were erected for the Professors in the Theological Semi- 
nary, that Dr. Ely attempted to establish in Missouri. 
The enterprise was in advance of the age, and after a few 
years was given up, with a great pecuniary loss to those 
who originated it. After Dr. Ely's death, the property 
on which he resided temporarily was bought by Mr. 
Darrah, who has lived there and been Pastor of the Pres- 
byterian Church since April 17, 1859. 

BENJAMIN FRANKLIN WRIGHT. 

Benjamin Franklin Wright was born in Warrington, 
Pa., August 30, 1808. He resided in Hartsville and 
Greene Co., Pa., till 1847, when he removed to Philadel- 
phia. In 1855 the suburbs and rural districts of the 
County of Philadelphia were consolidated under one 



NESHAMINY PRESBYTERIAN CHUROH. 233 

•city government. The next year, 1856, he was elected to 
the Common Council. After being two years in this 
office, he resigned, and was appointed Building Inspector 
of the city, in which capacity he served three years, and 
subsequently being appointed by the Supreme Court of 
the State of Pennsylvania, he served as Building Inspec- 
tor eleven years more, at a period when Philadelphia 
was growing in size and population with rapidity une- 
qualed in its history, and when the labors and responsi- 
bilities of the office were very arduous. During this 
period, he was chosen again a member of the Common 
Council. He was in important positions in the city 
more than sixteen years, and was widely esteemed and 
respected. Having lost several members of his family by 
death, the remains of all of whom were buried at Nesham- 
iny, he took a deep interest in the erection of the chapel 
at the grave-yard in 1871, as will appear in a subsequent 
part of this volume. Unexpectedly to all his friends his 
death occurred suddenly in Philadelphia, March 6, 1876, 
when he was in the sixty-eighth year of his age. After 
appropriate funeral services in tfie city and in the ceme- 
tery chapel at Weshaminy, his body was interred there 
among his kindred. 

GEORGE W. HART. 

George W. Hart, son of John and Mary Hart, of War- 
minster, Bucks Co., was one of the youth of Neshaminy. 
He was prompted by a desire for learning, to obtain a 
liberal education, and pursued his preparatory studies in 
the vicinity of his home. He entered the Sophomore 
Class in Yale College in 1844, and spending three years 
in that institution, graduated in 1847 with the creditable 



234 HISTORY OF 

reputation of a faithful student and a superior scholar. 
Still incited hy a longing for information and for knowl- 
edge of the manners and customs of foreign lands, he 
travelled extensively after his graduation, visiting Cali- 
fornia, Australia, China, and other regions ; but at length, 
fixed his residence and engaged in mercantile business in 
Philadelphia, where he married and now lives, a useful 
citizen and an upright man. 

THE McKINSTRY FAMILY. 

For a long period of years one family, among others 
that deserve particular notice, was connected with the 
congregation, that of Eobert McKinstry, Sen. In 1847 
and for a number of years previously, five sons of his, 
John, Robert, !N'athan, James, and Henry, and their sister 
Jane, were all members of the Church and lived in the 
same vicinity. In 1850, and some years subsequently, 
John and Nathan resided in the same house, the latter of 
whom was married and had a family around him. Ad- 
joining them James resided, and adjoining his farm was 
the property of Henry. John was during a long period 
one of the Trustees, and IN^athan and Henry were both 
Elders. Another brother, William, resided in Ohio. All 
the children of the elder Robert McKinstry were asso- 
ciated with the people of God, and honored the Christian 
profession. In the house of ]S"athan and John, in conse- 
quence partly of the feeble health of some of the members 
of the family, meetings for preaching were held fre- 
quently on some evening in the middle of the week, 
through the space of twenty -five or thirty years or more, 
between 1840 and 18T0, in the pastorates of Mr. Wilson 



NESHAMINY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. 235 

and Mr. Turner, and many were the sweet seasons of 
refreshing contemplation of divine truth and communion 
with God and his friends, that were enjoyed under that 
roof. One of the sons of i^athan is an Elder in a Presby- 
terian Church in Ohio. The difterent branches of this 
family-connection having their homes in the extreme 
western part of the congregation, near the "Comity Line " 
School-house, sustained principally by their own efforts 
and personal instruction the Sabbath-school taught in that 
building for more than a generation. The Lord remem- 
bers mercy toward them that fear him, and to their chil- 
dren's children. 



CHAPTER XXI. 

PASTORATE OF REV. D. K. TURNER. 

Eor some months after the termination of Mr. Wilson's 
Pastorate the pulpit was filled on the Sabbath by supplies 
appointed by the Presbytery, and other Clergymen. On the 
6th of March, 1848, a meeting of the congregation was 
held for the election of a Pastor, at which, by request of 
the Session and some of the members of the Fourth Pres- 
bytery of Philadelphia, Rev. John Patton of Philadelphia 
presided. Ilaving preached a sermon appropriate to the 
occasion, he procedeed to act as Moderator of the election. 



236 HISTORY OF 

Oeorge Jamison was appointed Secretary. The choice 
was by ballot according to custom, and when the ballots 
were counted, it appeared that by an almost unanimous 
vote, which was then made unanimous, Rev. Douglas K. 
Turner was chosen Pastor,* 

Messrs. Joseph Carr, William Long, Jr., John C. Beans, 
ITathan McKinstry, William H. Long, and John Polk, 
were appointed Commissioners to sign the call on behalf 
of the congregation and prosecute it before the Fourth 
Presbytery of Philadelphia. 

On the 12t:h of April Mr. Turner was received under 
the care of the Presbytery as a licentiate, the call was put 
into his hands, and he signified his acceptance of it. 
April 17th, he was examined by the Presbytery at an 
adjourned meeting at ISTeshaminy, and the ordination was 
appointed for the next day, April 18th. The Exercises of 
the Ordination and Installation were as follows : Prayer 
by Eev. C. S. Conkling of Mount Pleasant, ]!^. J.; Sermon 
by Rev. Albert Barnes of Philadelphia; Constitutional 
Questions proposed and ordaining prayer by Rev. David 



* Mr. Turner was born in Stockbridge, Mass., December 17, 1823, 
but resided most of the years of his youth with his parents in 
Hartford, Conn. He graduated at Yale College, New Haven, 
Conn., in 1843, and after teaching a year in Hartford, studied 
Theology in the Theological Seminaries of Andover, Mass., and 
New Haven, Conn. He was licensed to preach by the Hampden 
East Congregational Association of Massachusetts in 1846, and in 
the autumn of the same year came to Neshaminy to teach a Clas- 
sical and Select School. He was engaged in this position about 
eighteen months, when he was elected to the pastorate of the 
Church. 



NESIIAMINY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. 23T 

Malin, Moderator ; Charge to the Pastor by Rev. Samuel 
M. Gould of the Third Presbytery of Philadelphia ; and 
charge to the people by Rev. Joel Parker, D. D., of Phila- 
delphia. 

August 18, 1848 a meeting of the congregation was 
held for the election of Elders. The Pastor was chosen 
Moderator and William H. Long, Esq., Secretary. 
Matthew Wilson, Henry McKinstry, and John C. Beans 
were nominated for the office of Elder, but as they did 
not deem it their duty at that time to accept, the meeting 
adjourned to the first Thursday in October. 

On that day, October 5th, the congregation again con- 
vened. Rev. James A. Darrah was appointed Chairman, 
and Joseph Hart, Secretary. The following nominations 
were made for election to the Eldership, viz. : Matthew 
Wilson, John C. Beans, Henry McKinstry, and John 
McE'air. The election was by ballot, and resulted in the 
choice of all who were nominated. 

The first two brethren named not feeling it their 
privilege to serve in that capacity, on the second Sabbath 
after the election, October 15, Henry McKinstry and John 
Mcl^air, after a sermon appropriate to the occasion by the 
Pastor, were ordained with prayer to be ruling Elders, and 
the right hand of fellowship was given them by the Ses- 
sion in presence of the congregation. 

In consequence of the purchase of the church property, 
and the extensive repairs of the house of worship made in 
1842, for several years after that time a heavy debt rested 
upon the congregation. Something was done toward its 
liquidation every year, but in 1848 more than two thou- 
sand dollars still remained unpaid, including arrears of the 



238 HISTORY OF 

Pastor's salary. It was then resolved by the Trustees to 
make an effort to remove this pecuniary obligation en- 
tirely. The matter was presented to the congregation, 
and in the course of a few weeks all the money necessary 
was subscribed and the debt entirely liquidated. 

Neshaminy Church previous to 1849 had never pos- 
sessed a lecture-room. Religious meetings had often been 
held in the school-house, which stood in the grave-yard, 
and in other school-houses in various parts of the wide 
district over which the congregation extended, and Sab- 
bath-schools were maintained regularly during the sum- 
mer in these buildings. In the pastorate of Rev. J. P. 
Wilson a school-house erected on his own grounds 
for the classical school, of which he was Principal, had 
been employed as a lecture-room. But when he sold his 
property and removed to Delaware it was found necessary 
to have a building erected, which should belong to the 
church, and be used for lectures, conference and prayer- 
meetings, and Sabbath-schools. It was deemed important 
that the location of it should be in Hartsville, though 
this was some distance from the church, as it would be 
more central and convenient for the services which would 
ordinarily be held in it. Mr. Thomas Bird, formerly of 
Philadelphia, but then a resident of "W arminster, owned 
a farm, on which his son, Charles Bird, lived, a portion of 
which was in the village, and which contained a lot very 
desirable for the purpose. He gave the lot, containing 35 
perches and eight-tenths of a perch of land, by deed to 
the Trustees of the church ; and aided by liberal contri- 
butions the Ladies' Society of the congregation, who 
raised by fairs and in other ways nearly all the money 



NESHAMINY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. 239 

expended in the erection of the building. His lady, 
Mrs, Bird — afterwards the wife of Rev. William Patton, 
D. D., of ISTew Haven, Conn., — was the President of the 
Society ; and it was largely due to her personal influence, 
management, energy, and liberality, that the necessary 
funds were secured and the work was brought to a suc- 
cessful termination. The lecture-room is a neat stone 
structure, thirty feet wide by forty feet long, with a 
small vestibule, and will seat about two hundred persons. 
It has a lofty ceiling, and has been much used for the in- 
struction of singing-classes, for which its acoustic proper- 
ties well adapt it. The whole cost of the building, 
furniture, and enclosure of the lot was about $2,000. It 
was erected in 1849. 

In former times there was a log school-house just out- 
side the grave-yard, north-east of the spot on which the 
present chapel stands. This log structure was built so 
firmly that when it became desirable to take it down, its 
demolition was no easy task. It was replaced about the 
year 1824 by a stone school-house, which stood many 
years, and in which a large number of the children of the 
vicinity were taught by different teachers, among whom 
were A. Prior, Mahlon Long, Samuel Hart, and Miss 
Caroline Downer, afterwards Mrs. C. Whiting, wife of 
Timothy Whiting. This lady being a sweet singer, taught 
her pupils vocal music as well as other branches. From 
this school-house a wall extended in a westerly di- 
rection to the Bristol road, enclosing the burying-ground 
on the south side. A considerable piece of land, perhaps a 
quarter of an acre, was left unenclosed, sloping toward the 
road, on which were posts, and where it was customary 



240 



HISTORY OF 



to tie horses at funerals. In 1851 this wall had be- 
come much dilapidated by time, and it was resolved by 
the Trustees, September 25, to build a new wall along the- 
road and on the east side and enclose the open space, that 
it might be laid out in grave lots or planted with trees.. 
The committee appointed to make arrangements for and 
superintend this work was composed of the following 
persons, viz. : John C. Beans, Robert Darrah and Joseph 
Hart. Their task was completed in 1852 at an expense of 
$350, which was met by a general subscription in the 
congregation. 

During the last century " the service of song in the 
House of the Lord" was conducted by one or two meUy, 
who generally sat in front of the pulpit, facing the con- 
gregation, and rose when they sang. Among those who- 
officiated in this way, and " set the tunes," were John. 
Weir, John Jamison, Frederick Hoover, William Kneed- 
ler, Joseph Carr. 

During the pastorate of Rev. E,. B. Belville a choir was- 
formed and subsequently maintained up to the present 
day, who occupied the gallery opposite the pulpit. Some- 
times a person with a bass-viol assisted them, when a 
player on that instrument could be procured. About the- 
year 1842 a small pipe-organ was placed in the church,, 
which was owned by Rev. J. P. Wilson, and which Mrs. 
Wilson usually played on the Sabbath. After his resigna- 
tion of the pastoral charge that instrument was removed,, 
and for a time the music was conducted by the choir alone,, 
without instrumental accompaniment. But in 1853 the- 
need of an instrument being felt, a pipe organ, sufficiently 
large for the church, was ordered from Messrs. William. 



NESHAMINY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. 241 

Corrie & Son, of Philadelphia, organ-builders, which was 
built expressly for the congregation of Neshaminy, and 
placed m the gallery in its present location in that year. 
Its cost was $425, which was paid by a voluntary sub- 
scription of the people. 

After the general school system of Pennsylvania went 
into operation, the school-house in the grave-yard was 
used for a public school by the Directors of "Warwick 
Township during several jears. But in 1856 the Trustees 
of the church deeming it desirable that the building, be- 
ing then inclosed in the grave-yaixl, should be removed, or 
not occupied by a school, gave notice to the Directors, 
April 5th, to vacate it within six months, which was 
accordingly done that summer. The house remained, 
however, till 1860 ; March 29th of that year it was sold 
to Mahlon Long for $22 at public sale, and after two or 
three months taken down, and that memorial of the past 
disappeared, in which had been trained for usefulness the 
youth of I^eshaminy for more than half a century. In- 
deed, previous to the erection of the stone building, a log 
.school-house had stood there probably from the early his- 
tory of the church. Education and intelligence have 
always been regarded in this congregation as most im- 
portant handmaids of religion. 

^ A part of the grave-yard wall along the Bristol road 
used to stand on the top of a high bank ; but in 1857, as 
it had become somewhat out of repair, the Trustees 
resolved, with the concurrence of the congregation, to 
take it down and rebuild it, so that the top of it would 
be level with the top of the bank. This improvement 
was made under the direction of Mahlon Long, Courtland 



242 HISTORY OF 

Carr, and George Jamison, and has borne the test now of 
almost twenty years, without being disintegrated or 
thrown out of place by frost. 

In 1856 the church was painted anew within and with- 
out, and furnished again with new lamps. 

In 1854 the well on the north side of the church was 
dug under the oversight of Amos Torbert. 

Previous to the removal of the school-house from the 
grave-yard, a festival was held September 2, 1858, in the 
grove of R. Henderson Darrah near the church, for the 
purpose of raising funds to convert the school-house into 
a Cemetery Chapel ; or, if it were deemed best, to build a 
new Cemetery Chapel on a more convenient spot nearer 
the gate. The latter plan was ultimately adopted. The 
festival, held during the day, was attended by a large 
number of persons from the neighborhood, and by some 
from Philadelphia, and was followed by a concert of 
sacred and secular music, in the evening, given in the 
church by performers from Philadelphia. The net pro- 
ceeds of the day and evening were about $200. 

The roof having been on the church since 1818, forty-two 
years, in 1860 a new slate roof was put upon it at a cost 
of $200 ; a new fence was placed around the church lot ; 
and. six new sheds were erected to shelter horses and car- 
riages, at a cost of $29.05 each. They were built by th§ 
direction of the Trustees and were sold to the following 
individuals, viz.: John C. Beans, Courtland Carr, Eliza- 
beth Dudbridge, Hiram Carr, Charles Hamilton, and 
George Jamison. 

In 1861 the church was painted again within and 
without, new curtains were procured for the windows, 
and the inner doors were retrimmed. 



NESHAMINY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. 243 

The same year, October 8th, the Fourth Presbytery of 
Philadelphia, with which the church was associated, met 
in the church, and during their sessions, which continued 
a part of three days, they visited the cemetery in a body, 
and standing near the graves of Rev. William Tennent, 
Rev. I^athaniel Irwin, Rev. Francis McHenry, Rev. Alex- 
ander Gellatly, and Rev. Dr. James P. "Wilson, once 
eminent in the Presbyterian Church, addresses were made 
by Rev. Albert Barnes, and Rev. Dr. Thomas Brainerd ; 
scenes were recalled to mind in the history of the church in 
our country, and prayer was offered that the blessing of the 
Grod of our fathers might rest upon us their descendants, 
that we might be true to the principles they advocated, 
and that the faith they cherished might be spread all 
over the land. It was an interesting occasion, long to be 
remembered by those who participated in its exercises. 

Formerly there was an ascent of three or four stone 
steps from the level of the ground to the floor of the 
vestibule of the church. But it had long been felt to be 
desirable, that there should be a permanent platform 
before the front door, large enough to accommodate many 
of the people after religious worship, while they were 
waiting for their carriages. In November, 1862, a brick 
platform faced with stone was built, which in 1871 was 
covered by a roof supported by pillars, forming a useful 
and durable piazza or portico. The whole improvement 
cost about $360. 

In 1867 the ceiling, walls and wood work of the church 
were repaired, refitted, and painted anew, and otherwise 
improved, both on the interior and exterior, for which 
the sum of $950 was raised by subscription in the congre- 
gation, most of which was used for the purpose. After 



244 ' HISTORY OF 

this improvement was completed, it was remarked by 
many that probably the sanctuary never presented a more 
beautiful appearance during the whole period of its 
history. 

It had long been considered extremely desirable by 
many that there should be a Chapel in the Cemetery for 
the convenience of funeral processions and religious ser- 
vices at interments, and, as has already been mentioned, a 
Festival was held and a Concert given in 1858 to raise 
money as a nucleus of a fund for this object. Legacies 
were bequeathed by Mrs. R. H. Turner and Miss Ann 
Eliza Long to aid in the erection of the building, and in 
the Fall of 1871 it was commenced and nearly completed. 
Mr. Benjamin F. Wright of Philadelphia took a deep 
interest in this enterprise from its inception, and accom- 
plished more and gave more time and money towards it 
than any other individual. It may be said with truth 
perhaps, that without his active exertions and liberality 
it would have been postponed indefinitely. The Com- 
mittee appointed by the Trustees of the church to select 
the proper site and superintend the erection of the edifi.ce 
were, B. F. Wright, Esq., John M. Darrah, George Jami- 
son, William H. Stuckert. 

Davis E. Supplee, Esq., of Philadelphia, Architect, 
gratuitously furnished the plan and suitable drawings. 
Mr. Matthew Baird, of Philadelphia, contributed the bell 
in the tower ; Mrs. Anna Baird, of Philadelphia, pre- 
sented the beautiful stained glass in the principal win- 
dows ; Mr. John Wanamaker, of the same city, gave the 
circular window over the front door, and other donations ; 
Miss Elizabeth L. Grier, of Norristown, contributed a 



NESHAMINY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. 



245 



large and fine copy of the Bible for the Pulpit; and 
donations were made by many other friends in Philadel- 
phia and other places, as well as at i^eshaminy. 

The services of dedication of the Chapel were held 
September 5, 1872. In the morning of the same day, the 
Fifty-fourth Anniversary of the Sabbath-schools of the 
■church was celebrated at the meeting-house. The first 
Sabbath-school in connection with the church was formed 
in 1818, during the pastorate of Rev. R. B. Belville, and 
met in the school-house at the grave-yard. iTot many 
years after, a second w^as established in the school-house, 
at the Montgomery Co. Line, in Warrington Township, 
and subsequently, at ditterent times, Sabbath-schools 
were formed on the Street Road in Warminster, at IsTew- 
ville, in Warrington ; at Jamison's Corner, in Warwick ; 
at the Upper Street Road school-house, in Warrington; at 
Bridge Yalley, in Warwick, and at Concord, and Bush- 
ington, in Buckingham. For some years also, between 
1850 and 1860, a Sabbath-school was maintained in the 
Amity school-house in Moreland Township, in Montgom- 
ery Co., whose superintendent was John Bothwell, a 
member of Neshammy Church, and some of whose teach- 
ers belonged to the congregation. This school at that 
period celebrated its Anniversary with the other schools 
of the church. All these schools, eight or nine in num- 
ber, were in the habit of assembling annually, about the 
first week in September, at the church, and filling the 
house to overflowing ; teachers, pupils, parents and friends 
gathering to praise the Lord for his goodness, to listen to 
appropriate addresses from invited speakers, and sing 
together hymns peculiarly adapted to interest the young. 



246 HISTORY OF 

After the exercises within the house were over, or at an 
intermission, they were accustomed to repair to the yard, 
and under the shade of the wide-spreading, ancient oaks to 
partake of refreshments of various kinds, laid out on 
tables arranged for the occasion, and there was always an 
abundant supply for the multitude, who were congregated 
from the whole country-side. 

On this particular occasion the Pastor, Rev. D. K. Tur- 
ner, presided and conducted the services. Rev. W. H. 
Conard, of Davisville Baptist Church, offered the open- 
ing prayer, and addresses, interspersed with singing, were 
delivered by Rev. S. T. Lowrie, of Abington, John Wan- 
amaker, of Philadelphia, Rev. I. Collier, of Addisville 
Reformed Church, and Charles Godfrey, Esq., of the 
Sunday-school Union, who had often been at l^esham- 
iny on similar occasions before. A few words were added, 
by Rev. G. H. Nimmo, of Hartsville. 

At the conclusion of the Sabbath-school exercises, the 
announcement was made, that the Dedicatory Services 
would be held at the Chapel at 2 o'clock, P. M. In the 
meantime the large concourse of people were entertained 
with abundant refreshments served in the yard, under the 
trees, with which the church is surrounded. Many, also, 
visited the graves of their ancestors and friends, and of 
the eminent public servants of God, whose mortal remains 
are deposited in the ancient burial ground. 

At 2 o'clock the throng of people assembled at the 
Chapel for the exercises of dedication. Rev. Mr. Turner 
presided and made some statements concerning the his- 
tory of the church ; the prayer of dedication was offered 
by Rev. S. T. Lowrie, and George Jamison, Esq., one of 



NESHAMINY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. 247 

the Trustees and of the Chapel Building Committee, was 
introduced by the Pastor. He presented an account of the 
inception and progress of the erection of the edifice, and 
made honorable mention of the persevering efi:brts and lib- 
erality of Benjamin F. Wright, Esq., of Philadelphia, in 
securing the completion of the work. He also stated, that 
the earliest graves which are marked by stones in the 
yard, dated back to 1730, among which, he referred to 
the eminent clergymen, Tennent, Gellattly, Wilson and 
Irwin. Rev. Thomas Murphy, D. D., of Frankford, then 
commenced an interesting address within the Chapel, but 
on account of the large multitude, who were unable to be 
accommodated within, it was deemed best to adjourn to 
the green lawn in the front part of cemetery, where he 
could be heard by all ; there he finished his eloquent re- 
marks ; in the course of which he alluded to the visit of 
Rev. George Whitefield to that spot in 1739, when he 
preached to 3,000 people, as it is said, congregated from 
far and near in the yard of the meeting-house, which then 
stood within that enclosure. He also spoke of the career 
and services of the elder Tennent and his four distinguished 
sons — Gilbert, William, John and Charles — and of Log 
College, which was established and maintained by the 
father, with the assistance at times of the young men, 
before their entrance upon the active duties of the minis- 
try. The building, in which the instruction was given to 
the pupils of the College, was stated to be just about the 
same size as this Chapel. 

The concluding address was given by Col. James Ross 
Snowden. He referred in impressive words to the hand- 
some and appropriate chapel which had been erected by 



248 HISTORY OF 

the Building Committee, through the efficient eiForts of 
Mr. B. F. Wright, and to the beautiful memorial win- 
dows in the edifice, one of which has a compartment to 
the memory of Byron Hart Wright, only son of Mr. B. F. 
Wright. This young man had died two or three years 
before, being about to enter upon the practice of the legal 
profession in Philadelphia with bright prospects when he 
was suddenly called away by death. But the chapel and 
the occasion had a higher significance than anything mere- 
ly personal. " It testifies to our deep veneration for the 
memory of the pious dead who here planted the principles 
of civil and religious liberty more than 160 years ago. 
As it is impossible to overestimate the benefits which 
society derives from Christianity, so we cannot overstate 
the value of the services of the eminent and faithful men, 
who have' rendered this sacred spot dear, not only to 
every Presbj^terian, but to every lover of his country." 

One incident connected with Col. Snowden's remarks 
ought to be particularly mentioned. Among the dedi- 
catory exercises in the Chapel a beautiful hymn was sung 
by the choir, entitled, " There is a Light in the Valley for 
thee." With special reference to this hymn he said that 
Christianity illuminated even the shades of death. As in 
the natural world, when the sunlight disappears, the stars 
come forth to our view, so when man sees the last of 
earth, the brightness of the heavenly world appears to his 
vision. 

There is indeed a light, and life also, to the Christian, 
seen in the valley of death. 

At the conclusion of Col. Snowden's remarks, the audi- 
ence formed in procession, under the direction of the 



GC 

o 

H 

o 




NESHAMINY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. 249 

Pastor, and repaired to the grave of Rev. William Ten- 
nent, Sen., when the choir sang again the beautiful hymn 
to which reference has been made, " There's a Light in 
the Yalley." Prayer was offered by Rev. Dr. Murphy, and 
the benediction was pronounced by Rev. W. H. Dehart of 
the Reformed Church, New York City, when the people, 
who had been deeply interested in the solemn services, 
retired to their homes. 

During the exercises the following Resolutions were 
presented by J. L. Widdifield, Esq., and unanimously 
adopted. 

Resolved, That the thanks of the Trustees and Congregation of 
Neshaminy Church be, and they are hereby tendered to Davis E. 
Supplee, Esq., Architect, of Philadelphia, for the plan and draw- 
ings of the Cemetery Chapel ; to Mr. Benjamin F. Wright for his 
Hberality and indefatigable exertions in securing its erection ; to 
Mrs. Anna W. Baird for the beautiful glass of the principal Avindows ; 
to Mr. John Wanamaker for the circular window and other dona- 
tions ; to Mr. Matthew Baird for the bell in the tower ; to Miss 
Elizabeth L. Grier, for the valuable copy of the Bible for the desk ; 
and to all other friends not immediately connected with this con- 
gregation, who have made donations toward the building of this 
edifice. 

Resolved, That we hold tenderly and gratefully in our hearts the 
memory of Mrs. Each el H. Turner and Miss Ann Eliza Long, 
legacies from whom materially aided in this work. 

There was realized from the legacy of Mrs. Turner 
$525 ; and from that of Miss A. E. Long $84, toward the 
expense of building the Chapel. 

In 1872, the number of Elders having been reduced by 
death to two, viz. : John McFair and Henry McKinstry, 



250 



HISTORY OF 



it was deemed important that the Session should be in- 
creased. With this object in view, a meeting of the 
congregation was held agreeably to the requisite previous 
public notice, May 13, 1872. After preaching by the 
Pastor and the observance of public worship, the meeting 
was organized by the appointment of John C. Beans as 
Chairman, and George Jamison and Samuel F. Long, 
Secretaries. It was resolved that four persons be elected 
to the office of Elder, and that, as in elections of the same 
kind in former years, all the members of the church and 
all the pew-holders, and the children of the latter, 
over the age of twenty-one years up to the number of 
sittings held by the contributor, be entitled to vote at 
this election. Charles Hamilton and J. L. Widdifield 
were appointed tellers. Eight persons were nominated, 
and when the votes were counted, it was found that the 
following had received a majority of all the votes cast, 
and the highest number of votes, viz. : Stacy B. Beans, 
E.. Henderson Darrah, Cephas Ross and Hiram Carr. 
They were, therefore, declared duly chosen. Hiram Carr, 
not deeming it to be his duty to accept the office, and 
declining to serve, the others, Messrs. Beans, Darrah and 
Eoss, were solemnly set apart and ordained Elders ac- 
cording to the " Form of Government " of the Presby- 
terian Church, on Sabbath, May 26, 1872, and the right 
hand of fellowship was given to them by their brethren 
of the Session in the presence of the congregation. 

The congregation of Neshaminy have been interested in 
providing places for meeting on Sabbath afternoons and 
evenings, and other times, and for Sabbath-schools in 
different districts of the region surrounding the Church. 



NESHAMINT PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. 251 

At the County Line school-house, on the line between 
Bucks and Montgomery Counties, five miles from the 
Pastor's residence, meetings for prayer and preaching 
have been regularly held at stated times during many 
years ; and when the school-house was rebuilt, about the 
year 1857, much of the necessary work was done, and 
much of thQ material was given by Elders John McNair 
and Henry McKinstry and others living in that neighbor- 
hood ; it being stipulated with the School Directors of the 
Township, that Sabbath-schools and meetings might be 
held in it in the future, as in the past, without hind- 
rance. 

When the " Eight Square " or Octagonal school-house 
on the Street road, in Warrington Township, was built, 
about the year 1842, Rev. James P. Wilson, then Pastor 
of the church, gave the money to put on the roof, in 
order to secure the privilege of using it for Sabbath- 
schools and meetings. 

William C. Jamison and Major George Jamison and 
others built a school-house for the neighborhood on the 
Almshouse road, in Warwick, above Jamison's Corner, 
about the year 1840, and the same privileges have always 
been enjoyed in it. 

When the school-house at Bridge Valley was erected, 
about the year 1851, Joseph Laverell gave the lot on 
which it stands to the Directors, with the same purpose 
to secure a place for worship, and for teaching the young 
the truths of the Bible. 

Members of the ]^eshaminy Church united with some 
others under the leadership of William H. Stuckert, 
Charles Hamilton and Benjamin Hough, to erect a Hall 



252 HISTORY OF 

over the school-house at Newville, in Warrington, in 
1852, The part of the building for school purposes was 
erected by the Township, aiid the remaining expense, 
which was about $600, was defrayed by the people ot 
the neighborhood. The roof having become seriously 
damaged about the year 1870, and the ceiling needing to 
be refitted, the whole internal and external appearance of 
the meeting-room was renovated under the superintend- 
ence of Charles Hamilton. That hall has been, and still 
continues to be, a commodious and very useful room for 
public worship, which is held at other times than Sab- 
bath morning. 

During the pastorate of Rev. Mr. Turner 272 persons 
were admitted to the communion of ISTeshaminy Church ; 
235 by profession of their faith in Christ, and 37 by letter 
from other churches. Few communion seasons passed 
without the addition of some, and on quite a number of 
occasions many took their places for the first time around 
the table of their Lord and Master. The years 1853, 
1854, 1857, 1858, 1859, 1866 and 1869, were marked as 
seasons of special interest on the subject of religion in the 
congregation. In 1857 and 1869, Rev. J. T. Avery, of 
Cleveland, Ohio, assisted the Pastor in special meetings, 
which were continued every day, morning and evening 
usually, for three weeks in the church, during which the 
Holy Spirit was poured out in copious effusions ; Chris- 
tians were greatly quickened and revived, and many 
sinners were hopefully converted unto God. After the 
special services in the church were concluded, prayer- 
meetings were maintained, particularly during the winter 
of 1857 and 1858, many months in various districts of the 



NESHAMINY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. 253 

congregation, in school-houses and private dwellings, with 
most salutary results. In other seasons of remarkable 
interest at different times, the Pastor was aided by Rev. 
Wm. Ramsey and Rev. John Patton, D.D., of Philadelphia, 
Rev. Jacob Helffenstein, D. D., of Germantown, Rev. 0. 
Parker, of Flint, Mich., Rev. Hiram E. Johnson, of Den- 
nisville, iT. J., Rev. Edwin Long, of ISTorristown, Pa. 
Great good was accomplished by the labors of these 
brethren, and many no doubt " will rise up at the last 
day and call them blessed." 

Mr. Turner during his pastorate baptized, adults 119, 
and infants 150. He also solemnized 125 marriages, and 
officiated at 380 funerals. 

At the commencement of his labors as Pastor the peo- 
ple contributed $100 for the purchase of theological and 
literary works, which should constitute the foundation 
of a Pastor's Library, belonging to the church, and be 
under the care and for the use of the Minister. Soon 
after and at later periods quite a number of valuable 
works were presented to it by Mr. Thomas Bird, Mr. 
Matthew Wilson, Dr. Joel Parker, Mrs. E. Nichols, and 
others. 



254 HISTORY OF, 



CHAPTER XXIL 

BIOGKAPHICAL SKETCHES. 

In 1850 a boarding and day-school of a high order was 
established near Neshaminy Church, the Principals of 
which were associated with the congregation, and most of 
the pupils attended divine service there on the Sabbath, 
occupying the south side of the gallery. In the following 
brief sketches of its founders there is included some 
account of the Institution itself. 

REV. MAHLON LONG. 

Rev. Mahlon Long was born in "Warminster, March 6, 
1809. He was the son of Hugh and Mary Long, and was 
engaged in rural occupations in his youth, like many boys 
in the country, laboring for his father on the farm, and 
becoming practically familiar with agricultural pursuits. 
Having received a good English education at schools in 
the neighborhood, he was invited while ploughing in the 
field, to take charge of the school in the school-house at 
the grave-yard. Here he taught for a considerable time ; 
after which he was employed as clerk in the public offices 
at the County seat, Doylestown, and in the Doylestown 



NBSHAMINY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. 255 

Bank of Bucks Co. Feeling disinclined to devote his life 
to banking, in which profession he might have attained 
distinction, and desiring a classical education, he prepared 
for College, entered the College of New Jersey at Prince- 
ton, and graduated in 1839. After receiving the degree 
of Bachelor of Arts he taught a classical school in the 
neighborhood of his father's residence a year or two, and 
then pursued the study of Theology, at New Haven, 
Conn. He was associated as a student with the Theologi- 
cal Seminary of Yale University three years, but at the 
expiration of two years he was examined and licensed to 
preach the Gospel by the Fourth Presbytery of Philadel- 
phia in 1845, In 1847 he was invited to become Prin- 
cipal of the Academy at Harrisburg, and under his 
direction the institution rose to an unwonted degree of 
prosperity. He was much esteemed as a teacher and a 
man of intelligence by Governor Shunk, the Chief 
Executive of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and 
by the principal citizens of the Capital of the State. 

In 1860 he and his brother. Professor Charles Long, 
late of Delaware College, established " Tennent School," 
a boarding-school for boys, near the Neshaminy Church, 
in Warwick Township, a short distance from Hartsville. 
A large mansion-house, with a two-story building for a 
school-room attached, was erected on a site commandins: 
a pleasant view of the surrounding country, and in a 
short time, such was the reputation of these gentlemen 
for ability and success in teaching, the house was full of 
pupils, and in two or three years they found it necessary 
to enlarge their buildings to accommodate all who desired 
to connect themselves with the school. Pupils came from 



256 HKTORY OP 

Philadelphia, Harrisburg, Pittsburg, Delaware, and Mary- 
land, and other sections of the country, and through a 
protracted period the institution enjoyed great prosperity. 
On several occasions it shared in the blessed eftects of 
revivals of religion, with which Il^eshaminy Church was 
favored. The pupils attended worship at the church, 
where they occupied one side of the gallery, and quite a 
number of them at different times were hopefully brought 
into the kingdom of Christ by the power of the Spirit 
through the preaching of the Word. JS'ot a few of those 
who prepared for college, or studied for a period, at this 
institution, have risen to posts of eminence, influence, and 
usefulness in the world. Among whom may be men- 
tioned : Hon. H. P. Poss, Presiding Judge of the Courts 
of Montgomery Co., Pa.; Prof. Macy, of Union College, 
Schenectady, N". Y. ; Rev. S. M. Freeland, Pastor of the 
Second Congregational Church, Detroit, Michigan ; Dr. 
Ashurst of Philadelphia; Rev. William Hutchinson, 
formerly Tutor in Yale College; George Ross, Esq., 
Arthur Chapman, Esq., and William Stuckert, Esq., of 
Doylestown, Pa., and many others. 

In various professions and pursuits, those who were 
once under the training of Tennent School, and received 
a considerable share of their early education in it, have 
been honored and enjoyed high appreciation from their 
fellow-men. 

In 1857, Mr. Long purchased about three-quarters of an 
acre of ground from James Field, Esq., adjoining the 
grave-yard, and having obtained permission from the 
Trustees of the church to remove the stone wall on the 
north-west side of the burying-ground, he enclosed the 



NESHAMINY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. 257 

new ground with the old by a permanent wall. It was 
then laid out in lots, each ten feet by twelve, with suit- 
able walks and alleys between them, and these were sold at 
$20 or $25 per lot. The sale of the lots more than 
equalled all the cost of the enterprise and the interest of 
the money expended. This addition to the grave-yard 
was very much needed, as the old ground was nearly all 
occupied, and none could be purchased on any other side 
of it so appropriate as this. It met the demands of the 
congregation at the time for burial purposes, and has been 
improved and beautified with monuments, and now pre- 
sents a handsome appearance. 

In 1869, (Prof. Charles Long, having died some years 
before) Mr. Mahlon Long gave up the charge of Tennent 
School, sold the property to M. Denman Wilbur, Esq., of 
iffewark, !N". J., and retired to private life. He has since 
resided in Philadelphia, and Bergen, ]^. J. About the 
year 1860 he married Mrs. Catherine Ely, daughter of 
Eev. R. B. Belville, and widow of Rev. George Ely. He 
was admitted to the degree of Master of Arts in course 
at the College of ISlew Jersey, at Princeton, in 1842, and 
subsequently received the same honorary degree from 
Yale College, at E"ew Haven, and the degree of Doctor of 
Philosophy from the College of New Jersey. 

PROF. CHARLES LONG. 

Professor Charles Long was born in Warmister Town- 
ship, March 11, 1818. He entered the Sophomore Class 
in Yale College in 1839, and graduated in 1842. He took 
a high stand in his class in College, and was much re- 
spected for his mental acumen and ability. Immediately 



258 HISTORY OF 

after receiving his degree of A. B. he engaged in teaching 
the Academy in Reading, Pa., where he acquired a high 
reputation as a teacher. Firm and decided in enforcing 
discipline, he yet sought and gained the affection of his 
pupils, and succeeded in inducing them to exert their own 
minds vigorously in the pursuit of knowledge. Having 
spent two years in Reading, with credit to himself and 
much benefit to the school of which he was Principal, 
he was appointed Tutor in Yale College, and served his 
Alma Mater in this capacity three years. During this 
time ho pursued the study of Theology, and attended the 
Lectures of the Theological Seminary, given by Rev. ]^. 
W. Taylor, D. 1)., Prof. Gibbs, Prof. E. T. Fitch, and 
Prof. 0. Goodrich ; and he might at any time thereafter 
have been examined by an ecclesiastical body, and been 
licensed to preach the Gospel, if he had felt that he was 
called to the ministry. 

When Rev. James P. Wilson, D. D., was elected Presi- 
dent of Delaware College, he nominated Mr. Charles Long 
as Professor of Ancient Languages in that Institution, 
and he was chosen for this chair by the Trustees. Here 
he remained three years, and discharged the duties of the 
office with great acceptance to the students and his asso- 
ciates in the faculty. But interest in education in Dela- 
ware at that time had not reached a high point, and it 
was difficult to keep the College on a satisfactory finan- 
cial basis. Being solicited by his brother, Rev. Mahlon 
Long, to join him in establishing a boarding-school of a 
superior order at E"eshaminy, Prof. Long resigned his 
Professorship in 1850, and located himself near the 
home of his childhood in the important work of giving 



NESHAMINY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. 259 

instruction to youth, and preparing them for College, and 
for the various walks of business. He remarked about 
this time, that he considered a first-class preparatory 
school of more value to the cause of education than an 
inferior collejo-e. The character of his instruction was 
such as to awaken the minds of his pupils to active etlbrts, 
and lead them to exert their own powers. While he 
would point out clearly the way to learning, he wished 
them to walk in it by their own exertions. They were 
encouraged to be hard students, earnest and laborious in 
their pursuit of knowledge. In 1855 he was attacked by 
that insidious disease, consumption, and after struggling 
with it about a year, died July 15, 1856, in the blessed 
hope of the Gospel, aged 38 years ; and his remains lie 
entombed in the Cemetery of l^eshaminy Church. He 
received the degree of A. M., in course from Yale College, 
in 1845. 

In his death the cause of education lost one of its 
brightest ornaments. He possessed an unusually clear 
and acute intellect, which had been trained and cultivated 
by extensive reading and study. All his literary pro- 
ductions and public addresses indicated that he was en- 
dowed with talents of a high grade, which were capable 
of investigating and expressing truth with great power ; 
and that his premature decease cut short a career, which 
might have reached marked eminence. 

THE WAR OF THE REBELLION. 

When the attempt was made by the Confederate States 
of the South, in 1861, to establish a government distinct 



260 HISTOEY OP 

from that of the Union, there was some diversity of opin- 
ion among the congregation of Neshaminy in regard to 
the proper methods to be pursued to preserve the integ- 
rity of the nation. All were anxious that the Union 
should he maintained; but the views of some diifered 
widely from those of others in respect to the course most 
adapted to secure that end. Many were warmly in favor 
of the plans of the administration ; and others had little 
confidence in the patriotism that inspired them, or their 
prospective results. The latter class, having been long 
associated with the political party opposed to the admin- 
istration, found great difficulty in bringing themselves to 
sympathize with those who were at the head of the gov- 
ernment, in carrying on a war which they deemed 
unnecessary. Still the Pastor constantly remembered the 
Rulers of the nation and the soldiers in the field at the 
throne of grace in public, in the social meeting, and in 
private ; and urged his people to support the government 
by their sympathies and prayers and cordial co-operation, 
when he addressed them on Thanksgiving and Fast days, 
and at other times during those years of trial and danger. 
Quite a number of the young men of the congregation 
and vicinity enlisted in the service of their country, and 
went forth to fight her battles. Some were in the army 
three or four years ; some one year ; and some nine months 
or a shorter period. The following are some of those, 
who left their peaceful homes and tranquil occupations, 
and exposed themselves to perils, hardships, privations 
and death for the preservation of the Union. 



NESHAMINY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. 261 



SERGEANT HARMAN Y. BEANS. 

Born I^ovember 26, 1831. He united with Neshaminy 
Churcli in 1858 as one of the fruits of a work of grace, 
with which the church was blessed during the previous 
winter. When the war between the Union and the 
Rebellion commenced, he felt strongly impelled to enter 
the army as a volunteer, and though many things urged 
him to remain at home and assist his father on the farm, 
he could not shake off the impression that he ought to 
engage actively in defence of his country. With this 
feeling burning in his bosom he consulted his Pastor and 
other friends more than once, and though none of them 
felt called upon to advise him to buckle on the armor, but 
left the matter very much to his own convictions of duty, 
yet he soon decided to go forth to the tented field, and 
face the enemy. He entered the 1st Regiment of Cavalry 
of the State of T^ew Jersey, one of the companies of which 
was formed mainly from Bucks and Montgomery Coun- 
ties, Pennsylvania, and was under the command at first 
of Captain J. Shelmire. After being in hard service in 
the ranks a considerable time, and being in many battles 
^nd skirmishes in Virginia and Maryland, he was as- 
signed to the Commissary Department as a clerk or assis- 
tant to the Quartermaster, partly, no doubt, on account 
of his eminent fidelity to every trust reposed in him. He 
was much depended on, and greatly useful in this capa- 
city, and continued in it till toward the close of the war. 
But it did not fully satisfy him. He thought he ought 
to be engaged in actual fighting with the enemy; and 



262 HISTORY OF 

when the country seemed to need him in the more 
dangerous and stirring expeditions to which the regi- 
ment was often called, he requested to be relieved from 
duty in connection with procuring supplies for the army, 
and to be placed among the more perilous scenes to 
which his comrades were almost constantly ordered. Kot 
long after his request was granted, he was in a battle at 
Hanovertown, Virginia, and was mortally wounded in 
the neck, May 28, 1864. It was hoped that he might be 
brought to a hospital in Philadelphia, and was conveyed 
Korth with this purpose in view. But his strength failed 
so rapidly, that when he reached Baltimore, his friends 
who were with him, found he must be taken to a hospi- 
tal in that city, where he died, June 12, 1864, in the 33d 
year of his age. While in the army he was esteemed by 
all who came in contact with him as a young man of 
conscientious integrity, courage and true patriotism, and 
was promoted from time to time for his fine qualities a^ a 
soldier to the rank of Orderly Sergeant. He was not 
afraid to do his duty, both towards God and men, 
whatever others might say of him. He prayed in his 
tent at suitable times, though some of his comrades might 
be present, not ostentatiously, but because he would not 
be deprived of the privilege of communing with his Re- 
deemer ; and his pocket Bible, which he carried with him, 
is marked all through with the names of places where he 
was when he read the passages so distinguished. He was 
universally respected, because all felt that he was sincere 
in his religious principles, and lived according to his con- 
victions. 



NESHAMINY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. 



263 



SERGEANT MAJOR CEPHAS ROSS. 



Sergeant Major Cephas Ross, Avhen the call "To armsl" 
was heard in the land, and an invitation was given for 
the young men of ]^eshaminy to gird on the sword in de- 
fence of the government of the Union, joined Co. A., 1st 
Regiment ISTew Jersey Cavalry, August 1, 1861. He was 
mustered into service August 14, and left Trenton, IST. J., 
for Washington, about August 25. He volunteered for 
three years, and during that time was with his company 
in the following battles and minor hostile engagements, 
viz. : 
At Woodstock, Ya., 

Harrisonburg, 

Barnett's Eord, 

Madison Mills, 

Rapidan Station, 

Cedar Mountain, 

Brandy Station, 

Thoroughfare Gap, 

Bull Run, 

Bull Run, 

Chantilly, 

Aldie, 

Fredericksburg, 

Stoneman's Raid, 

Brandy Station, 

Aldie and Middleburg 

Gettysburg, Pa., 

Emmetsburg, Md., 



June 2. 1862 

June 6, " 
July 29, 
July 30, 

August 7, " 

August 9, " 

August 20, " 

August 28, " 

August 29, " 

August 30, " 

September 1, " 
October 31, 

December 11 and 13, " 

April 30 to May 9, 1863 

June 9, " 
June 19 and 20, 
July 2 and 3, 

July 5 and 6, " 



264 HISTORY OF 

Cavetown, Md., July 8, 1863 

Harper's Ferry, Ya., July 14, " 

Shepherdstown, " July 16, " 

Sulphur Springs, " October 12, "• 

Bristow Station, " October 14, " 

Mine Run, " November 27, " 

Upperville, " February 18, 1864 

Custer's Raid, " Feb. 28 to Marcb 3, " 

Spottsylvania Court House, Va., " 

Hawes' Shops, Va., " 

Malvern Hill, " " 

Cold Harbor, " " 

Stoney Creek R. R., " " 

During all the three years of his military career. Ser- 
geant Ross was engaged in hostile movements, or actual 
fighting with the enemy, and he and his company experi- 
enced a large amount of the severest toil and danger. 
Providentially his life was preserved in all these battles 
and expeditions, and he was but once or twice slightly 
wounded. At different times he was promoted, till he 
received his warrant as Sergeant Major, January 1, 1864, 
and was discharged at his own request, his term of ser- 
vice having expired, September 16, 1864. Since then he 
has resided at or near IS'eshaminy, and is now one of the 
Elders of the church. 



LIEUT. JOHN L. WIDDIFIELD. 

Another of the soldiers of the War of the Rebellion 
was Lieut. John Lewis Widdifield. He was a native of 



NESHAMINY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. 265 

Philadelphia, but for many years resided at Hartsville. 
When the war was fairly in progress, and a call for volun- 
teers was made by the country upon her patriotic young 
men, he felt inspired with the sentiment that it was an 
opportunity for him to do something to preserve the 
Union from destruction, and he initiated measures in con- 
nection with others to form a company of volunteers. 
The Company was organized at Doylestown, Bucks Co., 
Pa., August 8, 1862, as Company C, 128th Regiment, 
P. v., and composed of young men from this County. 
The original Of&cers were 

Capt. Samuel Croasdale. 

1st Lieut., Cephas Dyer. 

2nd Lieut., John L. Widdifield. 

Orderly Serg., R. Henderson Darrah. 
The officers and men were mustered into United States 
service August 14, 1862, at Harrisburg. Lieut. Widdi- 
field went to Washington and other places with the 
Company, and was present in two bloody and severe bat- 
tles, that of South Mountain, Maryland, September 14, 
1862, and the terrible struggle at Antietam, September 
17, 1862. During the latter engagement, while bravely 
fighting, he was wounded in the knee-joint, and borne 
bleeding from the field. He hoped that a few months of 
care and medical attention to his wound in hospital and 
at home would restore him to health and strength, so that 
he might again join his Company in the field. But the 
injury was too severe. He was rendered unfit for further 
military service, and his constitution seriously impaired 
for active eftbrt in any peaceful avocation. He was 
reluctantly obliged to resign his commission and ask 



^QQ HISTORY OF 

for his discharge, which was granted January 23, 1863. 
During his term of service he was promoted to be 1st 
Lieutenant, and if he had not been wounded, would have 
soon risen to the Captaincy. Since the war he has resided 
in Philadelphia and at Hartsville. 



LIEUT. E. H. DARRAU. 

Lieut. R. H. Darrah, though quite a young man when 
the war with the South commenced, yet partaking of the 
military spirit of his great-grandfather, who served as 
Captain of Militia in the revolutionary war with Great 
Britain, and of his father, who was a soldier in the last 
war with the same country, joined the 128th Regiment 
of Pennsylvania Volunteers, Co. C, formed in Doyles- 
town, and was enrolled August 8, 1862, and enlisted into 
the Qnited States service as Orderly Sergeant, Aug. 14, 
1862. After being for a short time at Harrisburg, he 
went with his company to Washington, D. C, from 
which city they were soon ordered over the Potomac 
into Virginia. They were busy for a few weeks perfect- 
ing themselves in military drill and the use of fire-arms, 
and in watching the movements of the enemy, when they 
were sent N'orth with their division to meet the foe on 
the bloody fields of South Mountain, September 14, and 
Antietam, September 17. He was promoted from the 
rank of Orderly Sergeant to that of 2nd Lieutenant 
August 25, 1862, and to that of 1st Lieutenant February 
8, 1863. Though not nominally Captain, yet in conse- 
quence of changes in the places of several officers, the 



.NESHAMINY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. 267 

command of his company devolved upon Lieut. Darrah 
during a considerable part of the winter of 1862-3, and 
he had the responsibility and the labor of that position 
resting upon him. lie was present with his men at the 
protracted and severe struggle of Chancellorsville, Ya., 
which continued most of three days from May 1 to May 
3, 1863. Serving with honor during the whole period — • 
nine months — for which the regiment was enlisted, he 
was discharged May 19, 1863, and soon returned home. 
In June of the same year a call was made for men to go 
to the region of Carlisle and Chambersburg, Penn., and 
defend the State against threatened inroads of the forces 
of the rebellion. Lieut. Darrah responded to the sum- 
mons, and joined Co. F, of the 31st Regiment of Penn. 
Militia, under the command of Capt. George Hart, of 
Doylestown, a member of the Bucks County bar. He 
went to the vicinity of Gettysburg and did good service 
for three months, being a second time regularly enlisted 
into the service of the United States. 

The whole time which elapsed during the two periods 
of his military service was about a year, at the expiration 
of which he returned to Pennsylvania, and has since been 
engaged in agricultural pursuits. He is now one of the 
Elders of Neshaminy Church. 



DR. BYRON HART. 

Dr. Byron Hart was born at Hartsville, in 1826, and 
having prepared for Yale College under the instruction of 
Mr. Charles Stone and Rev. D. K. Turner at a classical 



268 



HISTORY OF 



school at Neshaminj, he entered the college at ITew 
Haven, Conn., in the fall of 1847, and graduated in 1851. 
He then pursued the study of medicine in the ofB.ce and 
uader the direction of Prof. John H. Mitchell, and at- 
tended lectures at the Jeft'erson Medical College, receiving 
the degree of M. D. in 1854. Having married Miss Ella 
J. Levine, of Philadelphia, he engaged in the practice of 
medicine and surgery in that city. During the war of 
the rebellion he received the appointment of Assistant 
Surgeon in the hospital at Broad and Cherry streets, 
Philadelphia, and was busily employed more than a year 
in caring for the sick and wounded soldiers there. By 
his kindness and the faithful performance of the duties of 
his position he gained the gratitude and lasting affection 
of the inmates of the hospital, and as a memento of their 
appreciation of his services they presented him a very 
handsome silver pitcher, goblet and tray. 

A call was issued by the Government for surgeons to 
go to the Southern States, when he offered his services, 
and was ordered to Beaufort, South Carolina, in August, 
1863, where he had the whole charge of Hospital 'No. 12, 
subject to the orders of the old physician of the regular 
army, who very seldom visited it, and left it almost en- 
tirely to his management. Here and at Hilton Head 
he remained more than a year with great satisfaction to 
the officers and soldiers under his medical care, and they 
presented him a handsome American silver watch and 
gold chain as a token of their regard. The preparation of 
all the official documents connected with his department 
devolved upon him. He gave himself with untiring as- 
siduity to the treatment of his patients, and performed 



NESHAMINY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. 269 

more labor than his constitution would bear. Becoming 
himself unwell, he continued to go through with the 
wearing round of his duties longer than he ought, con- 
trary to the advice of a physician whom he consulted. 
He was at length prostrated with fever and debility, 
arising from the effects of overwork and an enervating 
climate, and was obliged to return to the North. It was 
hoped that his strength might rally while on the voyage 
homeward, but he gradually became more enfeebled, and 
died a few hours after he reached ISTew York, at the 
house of his brother-in-law^, Mr. Sawyer, October 7, 1864. 
His remains were brought to Philadelphia and thence to 
ITeshaminy, The funeral services were attended at the 
residence of his father, Mr. Joseph Hart, and his body 
was buried in the cemetery connected with the church. 
He was a kind, faithful, intelligent and skilful physician, 
and was much esteemed by the officers and men among 
whom he associated and discharged the duties of his pro- 
fession during most of the lamentable civil war. 



COLONEL SAMUEL CROASDALE. 

Samuel Croasdale was born in Warminster, near Harts- 
ville, August 22, 1837. His mother, Mrs. Sarah Croas- 
dale, was a member of I^eshaminy Church during many 
years previous to her death, and he was in the habit of 
attending worship with her in his childhood and youth, 
and may be spoken of as one of the young men of Ne- 
shaminy, though before his decease he had been a resident 
of Doylestown two or three years. He received most of 



270 HISTORY OF 

his education beyond the primary studies at Tennent 
School, under the instruction of Messrs. M. and C. Long, 
but after leaving that institution recited for a time in 
Greek to Rev. D. K. Turner, in which language, as also 
in Latin, he was a successful student. He possessed more 
taste and aptitude, however, for Mathematics, and ex- 
celled in the study and practice of surveying land and the 
use of mathematical instruments, a bent of genius which 
he doubtless inherited from his father, William Oroasdale, 
who was an unusually skilful and ingenious mechanic, 
and worker in iron, as a blacksmith. This talent for 
mathematics and mechanics appears to have been in the 
family several generations, as William Oroasdale was a 
nephew of Samuel Hart, Esq., who was also a superior 
surveyor. Miss Elizabeth Oroasdale, a sister of Oolonel 
Oroasdale, is the accomplished Principal of the School of 
Design for Women in Philadelphia. 

After finishing his preliminary education, Samuel 
Oroasdale entered the office of George Hart, Esq., of 
Doylestown, as a student of law. He turned his attention 
at the same time to conveyancing and surveying, in the 
latter of which branches of business he became a 
thorough proficient and adept, and was often employed 
in laying off and describing streets, tracts, and lots of 
land in the measurement of which a large amount of 
skill was required. He was admitted to the Bar to prac- 
tice Law in the Oourts of Bucks Oounty, and began the 
exercise of his profession, about the year 1860. 

At the commencement of the war with the South he 
entered a company of soldiers formed in Doylestown, 
under the command of Oapt. W. W. H. Davis, and went 



NESHAMINY PRESBYTERIAN CUURCH. 271 

with the company to Washington for the defence of the 
Capital, being among the first troops that arrived there 
after the call of President Lincoln for 75,000 men. At 
the expiration of his first term of service he still felt an 
ardent desire to be of use in upholding the Government 
against an organized rebellion, and when it was proposed 
to form a regiment in Bucks and adjoining Counties to 
serve nine months, he engaged in the enterprise with 
eager patriotism. A company was recruited in the re- 
gion of Neshaminy by himself and others, and he was 
chosen Captain. This was Company C of the 128th Regi- 
ment, Pennsylvania Volunteers. It was organized August 
8, 1862, and enrolled into the service of the United 
States, August 14th, at Harrisburg. But a few days 
after this the position of Colonel of this Regiment became 
vacant, and some correspondence ensued between George 
Lear, Esq., of Doylestown, and Gov. Curtin, in reference 
to the proper person to fill the vacancy. Capt. Croasdale 
was favorably mentioned, and soon received the commis- 
sion, dated August 25, 1862. He was a young man, only 
three days more than 25 years old, and his nomination 
unsolicited and unexpected by himself, over other ofiicers 
older and with more influence of friends in their favor 
than he could command, shows the good impression his 
character and previous conduct had made upon the public. 
He shared with his men the toils and fatigues of the 
march and the camp in Harrisburg, Washington, and 
Virginia until the battles took place at South Mountain, 
September 14th, and Antietam, September 17, 1862. In 
the latter, according to the orders of the commanding 
General, he was just bringing his regiment into action on 



272 HISTORY OF 

the field, about 9 o'clock, A. M., when sitting upon his 
horse he was struck in the head by a ball from a sharp- 
shooter's rifle and instantly killed. Thus by an untimely 
death a promising young ofiicer was laid low. His body 
was brought to the house of his father at Hartsville, 
where the funeral services were attended by a large con- 
course of people, Monday, September 22nd. The inter- 
ment was at Doylestown Cemetery, where a suitable mar- 
ble slab stands at his grave with the following inscrip- 
tion: 

SAMUEL CEOASDALE, 

Colonel 128th Penn. Volunteers. 

Killed at Antietam, 

Sept. 17, 1862, 

Aged 25 yrs. and 25 days. 



MAJOR JAMES H. HART. 

James H. Hart, son of John and Mary Hart, was born 
in Warminster m 1821. His mother was a member of Ne- 
shaminy Church, and he was in the habit of attending 
the services of the Church on the Lord's Day, until he 
removed from the neighborhood. He responded to the 
call for volunteers to defend the Union in 1861, and was 
among the first to unite in forming the Company A, 
1st Regiment ^N. J. Cavalry, Col. Halsted, and joined it 
as Lieutenant, under Captain Shelmire. On the promo- 
tion of the latter to be Major, he was promoted to the 
command of the company. He was a brave, and active, 
enterprising officer, yet remarkably cool and collected in 



NESHAMINY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. 273 

time of danger. Among the battles and skirmishes in 
which he was engaged, may be mentioned the following : 
Harrisonburg, Cedar Mountain, Brandy Station, Thorough- 
fare Gap, Chantilly, Fredericksburg, Gettysburg, Sulphur 
Springs, Mine Run, Wilderness, Bristow Station, Sheri- 
dan's Raid, Coal Harbor, Gaines' Mills, White House, 
Lee's Mills, Weldon, Stoney Creek. For his courage and 
efficient services he was advanced to be Major of the 
Regiment, and was brevetted Major of the U. S. Army. 
In an engagement with the enemy at Stoney Creek, Ya., 
in March, 1865, he was mortally wounded and soon died. 
His body was brought to the Southampton Baptist 
Church, Bucks County, Pa., where the funeral services 
were attended by a large gathering of people, and his re- 
mains were deposited in the grave. A handsome monu- 
ment has been erected over it, on which, beside the names 
of the battles given above, is the following inscription : 

JAMES H. HART, 

Major of the 1st N. J. Cavalry, and Brevet Major V. S. 
Army. 

Son of John and Mary H. Hart. 

Fell in action at Stoney Creek, Va., in defence of his 
country, March 30, 1865, in the 45th year of his Age. Sol- 
dier, Citizen, Husband, Father. No one more brave, up- 
right, affectionate, and kind. His country asked his Ser- 
vice ; he gave his life. 

In addition to those who have just been mentioned as 
engaged in the war of the Union against the Southern 
Confederacy, the following persons served in the army for 



274 HISTORY OF 

a longer or shorter period from IJfeshaminy Church and 
congregation. 

Of the lOiih Regiment Pennsylvania Volunteers under 
Col. W. W. H. Davis. 

Charles Arnell. Died and buried in Hampton, Va., in 

the autumn of 1861. 
William Raisner. Served also in the 31st Regiment of 

the Pennsylvania Militia. 
Isaac Holcomb. 
John Eckhart. 
Xiieut. James M. Fox. "Went from the Reformed 

Church of l!^orth and Southampton ; now belongs to 

INeshaminy. 
Oeorge Hare. 
William Hare. 
John Walton. 

Of the 1st Regiment New Jersey Cavalry, under Col. Halsted. 

Washington Raisner. 

Of the 12Sth Regiment Pennsylvania Volunteers. 

Samuel Morgan. 
Henry Long. 
John Lewis. 
George Lewis. 

Of the ?>lst Regiment Pennsylvania Militia. In the 
Emergency, 1863. 

Charles Meredith. 
Leonard Laverell. 
Jesse Ewer. 



NESHAMINY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. 275 

Drafted Men. 

Jesse Selser. 

Wilson Brady. 

William McKinstry. 

George Arnell. Served in an Illinois Regiment. 

James Wallace. Went in Capt. Kimble's company, 
from Hatborough, June, 1861. 

Dr. William E. Doughty. Went out from Philadel- 
phia twice. In Company C, 17th Eegiment Penn. 
Volunteers and in Company D, 45th Regiment Penn. 
Volunteers, 1st Union League Brigade. He was 
posted at Odd Fellows Cemetery, at the battle of 
Gettysburg. 



CHAPTER XXIII. 

CLOSE OP PASTORATE OF REV. D. K. TURNER. 

In 1873, Mr. Turner felt obliged on account of impaiced 
health to resign the pastoral care of the church, and hav- 
ing several times previously intimated to the Session, 
that he would probably find this step necessary, he 
addressed a letter March 8, 1873, to the Session, asking 
them to unite with him in calling a congregational meet- 
ing, at which action should be taken upon his resignation. 
The Session expressed deep regret that he considered this 



276 HISTORY OF 

course requisite, and inquired, whether in his judgment it 
might not be possible for him to regain his strength by a 
few months of relaxation and rest sufficiently to assume 
again the duties of the pastorate. He thought it best to 
give up the care of the church altogether, that he might 
be wholly free from cares and labors, hoping that by en- 
tire exemption from responsibility, he might sooner re- 
cover his physical vigor. Accordingly the Session at 
length yielded to his request, and called a meeting of the 
congregation, which was held March 20, 1873. But the 
people not being prepared to act upon the matter then, 
the meeting was adjourned to March 24. 

At the adjourned meeting the following resolutions 
were presented by a Committee appointed for the purpose, 
and unanimously adopted, viz.: 

RESOLUTIONS. 

The Rev. D. K. Turner, our Pastor at Neshaminy Church, having 
communicated to us his inability to further discharge his minis- 
terial duties on account of impaired health, and asking his congre- 
gation to unite with him in applying to Presbytery to dissolve 
the pastoral relation between him and the congregation, we feel in 
duty bound in proper respect to him, and as an expression of our 
sincere affection to record our testimony respecting this unexpected 
determination. Therefore, 

Resolved, I., That the Session of this church, the members and 
congregation hereby declare their high appreciation of the zeal, 
ability and devotedness, which have characterized the ministerial 
services of our beloved Pastor, and his constant labor in attending 
to all the calls of his congregation for religious advice, instruction 
and consolation. 

Resolved, II., That he has commended himself to the Christian 
world by his whole walk and conversation, and merited the high 



NESHAMINY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. 277 

respect accorded to him by his brethren in the ministry and others 
who have had the pleasure of his acquaintance. 

Resolved, III., That his whole ministerial period, froni early life 
till the present time, has been one continuous effort to build up 
and establish our religious faith, which we have received from our 
ancestors, and his pastoral service of twenty-five years will favor- 
ably compare with that of those eminent ministers of the Gospel 
who have preceded him in this ancient church. 

Resolved, IV., That if it is the dispensation of the Head of the 
Church that we be parted from our dear Pastor, we ardently desire 
that he ever may remember us, and implore upon the church and 
people he has left, the dispensation of such spiritual blessings and 
■care as the church miUtant needs in the conflict with the world 
and its allurements. 

Resolved, V., That we give him our earnest wish for his restoration 
to health, his continued usefulness through life, the pleasure of a 
probation passed in well doing, and a serene approach to that 
kingdom which is not of this world, and an eventual enjoyment of 
the presence of his Saviour. 

Resolved, VI., That we humbly offer our bereavement to the 
Presbytery with which we are connected, and hope that their 
imited counsels and supervision will promote the spiritual welfare 
of the people, the unity of the church, and the advancement of the 
Redeemer's kingdom among all conditions of men. 

Signed, STACY B. BEANS, 

Chairman of Committee on Resolutions. 
GEORGE JAMISON, 
Secretary of Congregational Meeting. 

Mr. George Ramsey, one of the Trustees and Treasurer 
of the church, was appointed to go to Presbytery at 
Pottstown, Pa., in connection with Elder Cephas Ross, 
who was to represent the Session there, and hear this ac- 
tion of the congregation. 

At a meeting of the North Presbytery of Philadelphia, 



278 HISTORY OF 

at JPottstown, Pa., March 25, 1873, Mr. Turner's request 
that the pastoral relation between him and the church 
be dissolved was presented by letter, as he was not able 
to be present on account of a funeral and marriage in the 
congregation. The action of the congregation in regard 
to it was also presented by Mr. George Ramsey, when 
the request was granted, and the dissolution of the re- 
lation made, to take effect April 20. Rev. J. H. M. 
Xnox, D. D., was appointed to preach and declare the 
pulpit vacant April 27, who duly on that day performed 
the duty assigned him. Mr. Turner was appointed Mod- 
erator of the Session by the Presbytery until another 
Pastor should be chosen, and the Session were granted 
leave to supply their own pulpit for the succeeding six 
months. 

During the summer and fall the following ministers 
were obtained to conduct the services of the sanctuary on 
the Sabbath, viz. : 

Rev. Elias S. Schenck, Rev. J. L. Jenkins, Rev. An- 
drew Tulley, Rev. A. Poulson, each one Sabbath ; Rev. 
William E. Jones, two Sabbaths; Rev. John Wright,, 
two Sabbaths ; Rev. D. K. Turner, hve Sabbaths ; and 
Rev. T. Darlington Jester was stated supply two months. 
The latter had just finished his studies in the Union 
Theological Seminary in JS'ew York City, and through 
correspondence of the Session with Prof. H. B. Smith,. 
D. D., was recommended as a supply until the Pastor 
elect could take up his residence permanently with the 
people. 

Until the year 1873 E^eshaminy Church had never 
owned a house for the residence of the Pastor. The min- 
isters previous to that time had possessed houses of their 



NESHAMINY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. 279 

own, or been so located that it seemed unnecessary for 
the congregation to procure a parsonage. But upon the 
resignation of Mr. Turner, the people became aware that 
in order to obtain another minister they must be able to 
provide for him a home. Accordingly, in June, 1873, it 
was determined by the Trustees to secure a manse, either 
by purchasing a house already built, or by buying a lot in 
the village of Hartsville and erecting suitable buildings 
upon it. A subscription was circulated through the con- 
o-reo-ation, which resulted in donations to the amount of 
$3,300. At length it was decided to purchase the farm 
of James Field, Esq., which was formerly the residence of 
Rev. R. B. Belville, and which adjoined the grave-yard, 
with the intention of reserving a portion of the land for 
an addition to the cemetery, and allotting ten or twelve 
acres as a glebe, to be attached to the house for the benefit 
of the Pastor. The property, comprising a house, barn 
and other buildings, and forty seven acres of land, was 
bought for $6,500 ; and subsequently sixteen acres were 
sold to Conard Reigle, and sixteen acres to Morris Messer. 
Five acres were set apart for a new cemetery contiguous 
to the old, and ten acres were assigned to the parsonage. 
Possession of the property was not obtained by the 
church until the spring of 1874, and during the winter 
previous the Pastor resided temporarily in the house of 
Isaac Weaver, on the brow of Carr's Hill, once occupied 
by Samuel Long as a boarding and day school. A part of 
the ground designed as an addition to the cemetery was 
laid out in grave lots in the summer of 1874, under the 
direction of a committee of the Trustees, consisting of the 
following persons, viz. : Andrew Long, Theodore Flack 
and George Jamison. A neat plot of it was gratuitously 



280 HISTORY OF 

drawn by Samuel F. Long, and was hung up in a frame 
in the vestibule of the church ; and soon several lots were 
sold at $25 per lot. 



CHAPTER XXIV. 

PASTORATE OF REV. W. E. JONES. 

July 13, 1873, Session met to consider the propriety of 
callino; a cono-resfational meeting:; for the election of a 
Pastor, and being convinced that the people were pre- 
pared for this step, they resolved that such a meeting be 
published for July 24, and that Rev. D. K. Turner be re- 
quested to preside at that meeting and preach a sermon 
suited to the occasion. Accordingly, on the day desig- 
nated, Mr. Turner conducted the usual services of public 
worship and preached, after which a meeting of the con- 
gregation was held. John J. Spencer, Esq., was chosen 
Secretary. Measures were about being entered upon for 
an election of Pastor, when a motion was made that on 
account of the people being much engaged in the labors 
of the harvest, and many being absent, the meeting ad- 
journ for two weeks. After some discussion the mo- 
tion was carried and the meeting adjourned to August 7. 

The congregation again assembled according to ad- 
journment, August 7, and proceeded to elect a Pastor. 



NESHAMINY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. 281 

Samuel F. Long and John M. Darrah were chosen tellers. 

Elder Henry McKinstry, on behalf of the Session, 
nominated as a candidate, Rev. William Evan Jones, of 
Tuscarora, Livingston County, K Y., and no other person 
being nominated he was unanimously chosen. The sum 
fixed as the yearly salary was twelve hundred dollars, be- 
sides the use of the Parsonage and the ground attached to 
it. At this election, as on former occasions in the history 
of the church, the following classes of persons were by 
resolution allowed to vote, viz. : the members of the 
church, and contributors with the wives and children of 
contributors, if over the age of twenty-one years, up to 
the number of sittings held by the contributor. 

The following Committee was chosen to inform Mr. 

Jones of his election, to sign the call on behalf of the 

congregation, and to prosecute it before the Presbytery 

viz. : 

John C. Beans, John McNair, 

George Taylor, Charles Ramsey, 

John M. Darrah, John J. Spencer. 

On the 25th of September, Mr. Jones* arrived at Ne- 



* Rev. William E. Jones graduated at the University of Pennsyl- 
vania in Philadelphia, July, 1850, and at the Theological Seminary 
of Princeton, N. J., in May, 1853. He was ordained Pastor of the 
Green Island Presbyterian Church, New York, June 22, 1854, and 
afterwards served as Pastor of the churches of Caledonia, Bath, 
and Tuscarora, N. Y., and Cedarville, N. J. During the war of the 
Confederate States against the Union he served two and a half 
years, part of the time in the far South, as Chaplain of the 161st 
Regiment, N. Y. State Volunteers- 



282 



HISTORY OF 



shaminy and began his labors as Pastor elect. October 
8th, during the Sessions of the Presbytery of Philadelphia 
North at iNorristown, Pa., the call for the services of Mr. 
Jones was presented by the commissioners of the congre- 
gation to the Presbj'tery, and by them put into his hands, 
and by him accepted. The time arranged for his instal- 
lation was Thursday, October 23, 1873, at 1| o'clock, 
P. M., and the following commission was appointed by 
the Presbytery to conduct the installation services, viz. : 
Rev. J. Grier Ralston, D. D., LL. D., Moderator of Pres- 
bytery, to preside, and put the Constitutional Questions ; 
Rev. Roger Owen, D. D., or in case of his absence, Rev. 
H. T. Ford, to preach the sermon ; Rev. D. K. Turner, to 
give the charge to the Pastor; and Rev. Thomas Murphy, 
D. D., or in case of his absence. Rev. Belville Roberts, to 
give the charge to the people. 

On the day designated, October 23rd, the installation 
services were conducted in the church, as follows : 

Dr. Ralston offered the Invocation, put the Constitu- 
tional Questions, and gave a statement of the proceedings 
which led to the assembling of the people on that occa- 
sion. Rev. Henry T. Ford of INorristown, preached an able 
sermon. Rev. D. K. Turner delivered the charge to the Pas- 
tor, and Rev. Thomas Murphy, D. D., of Frankford, Pa., 
the charge to the people. The choir sang appropriate an- 
thems accompanied by the organ ; the attendance of peo- 
ple was large ; the weather fine ; and the exercises and 
events of the day were auspicious of good to this vener- 
able church. 

It had long been deemed very desirable, that a perma- 
nent sidewalk should be constructed from the center of 



NESHAMfNY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. 283 

Hartsville to the eh arch, a distance of half a mile, for 
the convenience of many who walked to meeting on the 
Sabhath, as well as for pedestrians daring the week. As 
early as 1843 Rev. James P. Wilson, Robert Darrah, and 
Joseph Hart, and some others, had made a gravel-walk 
protected by posts along the road over a part of the low 
ground near the JSTeshaminy creek. This was much im- 
proved through the efforts of Rev. D. K. Turner and 
others about the year 1851, when a quantity of flat step- 
ping stones were contributed by John Polk of Warring- 
ton, and laid in order, which served a good purpose a 
long time. Abo at the year 1866 some money was raised 
by the ladies under the lead of Mrs. Emily Kichols, 
which was to be devoted to the completion of a walk, 
when sufficient funds were obtained to finish it. Late in 
the autumn of 1872 Joseph Hart, of Hartsville, died, 
and left by will $100 to aid in building a walk from the 
York Road to the Church, of which he was for many 
years a Trustee and Treasarer. The bequest was on con- 
dition that the walk should be of stone or other durable 
material, at least three feet wide, and finished within 
two years after his death. This encouraged the people of 
the neighborhood to make exertions to raise the necessary 
funds. Between $300 and $400 was secured by a festival 
in the grove of Elder R. Henderson Darrah in the sum- 
mer of 1873, and a fair in the lecture-room the following 
winter. 

John C Beans a,nd Dr. William E. Doughty put a walk 
in front of their properties at their own expense on the 
line of the proposed improvement, and the rest of it con- 
structed of wood as far as R. H. Darrah's lane, was 



284 HISTORY OF 

made in 1873. But it was deemed important that it 
should be of stone, wherever this material could be laid, 
especially in the flats near the l^eshaminy creek, which 
often overflows its banks, and by the flood and heavy 
cakes of ice might endanger a wooden structure. Flag- 
ging stone was obtained from the quarry of W. Mont- 
gomery Carr, of Warrington, and the neighbors hauled 
it. One large stone was donated by George Jamison for 
a culvert over the Darrah run. It had been out of the 
quarry since the days of Major Oarr, half a century since, 
and was moss grown and venerable with age. The entire 
expense of the walk was about $500. 

The Sabbath-schools of the church were formerly closed 
during the winter on account of the severe weather and 
the state of the roads. But about the year 1866, though 
the schools in the outlying districts were suspended dur- 
ing cold weather, it was deemed best to maintain a 
central school in the church in winter before divine ser- 
vice in the morning. This arrangement continued under 
the superintendence of Mr. S. F. Long, who during the 
summer was the Superintendent of the Hartsville School, 
until the winter of 1873-74, when, by the recommenda- 
tion of Rev. Mr. Jones, the central winter school was 
held for an hour after the morning service, with an in- 
crease of attendance and interest. 

During the winter of 1874-5 an interesting work of 
grace was enjoyed in the church, which resulted in the 
hopeful conversion of twenty-five persons. Special meet- 
ings were commenced at the " Week of Prayer," the 
first week in January, 1875, in the meeting-house, which 
were continued almost uninterruptedly four or five weeks^ 



NESHAMINY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. 285 

the Pastor preaching nearly every evening. Sometimes a 
prayer-meeting was also held during the day. Christians 
were greatly quickened and revived ; those who had been 
alienated from each other, were reconciled ; a spirit of 
prayer was poured out upon the members of the church ; 
and a strong desire for the salvation of souls awakened. 
At the sacramental season, on the 2nd Sabbath of Feb- 
ruary, twenty-six stood up together before the congrega- 
tion, and professed their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, 
and their determination to live for his glory. Rather 
more than half of them were in youth, and about the 
same proportion received the ordinance of baptism, the 
others having been baptized on the faith of their parents 

in infancy. 

Within two years after Mr. Jones became Pastor, about 
forty individuals united with the church, including those 
just mentioned, most of them by profession of their faith. 
During that time the attendance upon the public means 
of grace was good ; the Sabbath-school libraries were 
annually enlarged, as was the custom in the congregation ; 
the Sabbath-schools were in a flourishing condition ; and 
the contributions to benevolent objects and to congrega- 
tional work were regularly made. 

In the autumn of 1875 the pews on the north side of 
the gallery, commonly occupied by young men and youth, 
were furnished with new cushions, that they might find 
it as comfortable to sit in the house of God, as in their 
own homes. 

Neshaminy Church has been during many generations 
a fountain of spiritual good to the surrounding region. 
Besides the Sabbath-schools in different districts, which 



286 HISTORY OF 

during more than half a century it has maintained, and 
the out-stations, at which the Gospel has been proclaimed 
on Sabbath afternoon and evening and on other evenings 
of the week ; besides the many souls that have been born 
again and nurtured for the heavenly mansions under the 
means of grace in immediate connection with it, several 
churches have been formed partly out of elements once 
contained in it. 

The Presbyterian Church of Deep Run, which was un- 
der the pastoral care of the elder Tennent and Francis 
McHenry, a hundred and thirty or forty years ago, and 
which- was called "Mr. Tennent's Upper Congregation," was 
ministered to in the first part of this century by Rev. 
U. Dubois, who, in 1803 or 1804, began to preach regular- 
ly at the small hamlet, which has since become the bo- 
rough of Doylestown. In 1815, the Presbyterian Church 
there, was regularly constituted and set forth upon its 
work. During the last forty-five years it has enjoyed the 
ministry of Rev. S. M. Andrews, D. D., and has been 
greatly prospered and blessed. l!^ot a few of the families 
who used to attend the church at iN'eshaminy, have be- 
come attached to the church in Doylestown, and it has 
grown up within the territory once covered by the labors 
of Tennent, and Beatty, and Irwin. 

The borough of Hatborough, about the years 1820 to 
1825, was a mission station of Rev. R. B. Belville, ot 
Nesharainy, and Rev. R. Steel, of Abington, who, during 
a considerable time held services for preaching in the 
LoUer Academy. ^STow a Baptist and Methodist Church 
are located in the place, possess good houses of worship 
and respectable congregations, and support their own 
Pastors. 



NESHAMINY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. 287 

About the year 1836, Rev. Charles Ewing and some 
other clergymen, held protracted religious services in a 
grove near Pleasantville, not far from the County Line 
School House, where during a long time before, E.ev. Mr. 
Belville, the Pastor at ISTeshaminy, had been in the habit 
of regularly holding meetings once a month, and occasion- 
ally at other times, especially during seasons of revival. 
The result of the eftbrts of Mr. Ewing and his fellow- 
laborers was the establishment of a church in the German 
Reformed connection, of a strictly evangelical type, which 
has accomplished great good under the ministry of Rev. 
"W. E. Cornwell, Rev. N". S. Aller, and other faithful ser- 
vants of Chrisf. Several of the families of JN'eshaminy 
congregation, either united with this church at its organ- 
ization or have become attached to it since. Among its 
founders may be mentioned Frederick Hoover and Wil- 
liam Kneedler, the latter of whom became a member of 
Neshaminy Church again in 1848. The church at Pleas- 
antville may be deemed very properly one of the off- 
spring of this mother of Churches. 

The Presbyterian Church of Neshaminy, in Waryninster^ 
at Harts ville, is a branch of the original church at Ne- 
shaminy, and an account of the division, which termi- 
nated in its establishment, has been already given. 

Rev. D. K. Turner, while Pastor at !N'eshaminy, occa- 
sionally preached and often attended funerals in the 
vicinity of Forestville ; and several families living in that 
neighborhood, among others, those of Joseph Carver, Sr., 
and of his sons, James, Joseph, Samuel and William 
Carver, were associated with !N"eshaminy Church. A 
house of worship was built in Forestville, in the year 



288 HISTORY OF 

1855, and a church organization made, its first Pastor 
being Rev. H. E. Spayd, who was also at the same time 
Pastor at Solebury. This church, now under the charge 
of Rev. J. B. Krusen, derived a considerable part of its 
life and strength originally from IS'eshaminy, and two of 
the Sabbath-schools of the latter, viz.: Concord and Bush- 
ington, being not far distant from Forestville and on 
each side of it, have been transferred to the care and 
superintendence of the Forestville Church. 

The blessing of God has been frequently enjoyed in the 
history of Neshaminy Church through many past years. 
Morality, intelligence, respect for true religion, and the 
experience of vital piety have marked the people in an 
unusual degree. They have been not unworthy of their 
intelligent and pious ancestry, who loved the Bible, made 
it the guide of their faith and practice, and walked in its 
light. This church, by the favor of Him who dwells amid 
the golden candlesticks, has been a source of real benefit 
to the region in which it is established. May it still con- 
tinue thus to be to the latest posterity. 



FINIS. 



APPENDIX 



A. 



PRESENT ORGANIZATION OF THE CHURCH. 

1876. 

PASTOR. 

Rev. William E. Jones. 

ELDERS. 

Jolin McNair. 
Henry McKinstry. 
Stacy B. Beans. 
R. Henderson Darrah. ' 
Cej)has Ross. 

TRUSTEES. 

Courtland Carr. John M. Darrah. 

George Jamison. Wilson Brady. 

Andrew Long. Hiram Carr. 

Theodore Flack. John J. Spencer, 

George Ramsey. 

TREASURER. 

George Ramsey. 

SEXTON. 

Cornelius Corson. 



290 APPENDIX. 

B. 
CHAETEE OF INCOEPOEATION OF NESHAMINY CHUECH. 

Act of Legislature incorporating the Presbyterian Church in the 

Township of Warwick, County of Bucks, Pa. 

1782. 

Section I. Whereas, the Minister, Elders and Members of the 
Presbyterian Churcli in the Township of Warwick, in the County 
of Bucks, have prayed that the said church may be incorporated, 
and by law enabled, as a Body corporate and politic, to receive and 
hold such charitable donations and bequests as may from time to 
time be made to their society, and vested with such powers and 
privileges as are enjoyed by other religious societies who are in- 
corporated in the State of Pennsylvania. 

Sec. II. And whereas, it is just and right and also agreeable to 
the true spirit of the Constitution that the prayer of the said 
Petition be granted. 

Sec. III. Be it therefore enacted, audit is hereby enacted by the 
Eepresentatives of the Freemen of the Commonwealth of Pennsyl- 
vania in General Assembly met, and by the authority of the same. 

That Ei chard Walker, Benjamin Snodgrass, William Scott, Wil- 
liam Long, Nathan McKinstry, Giles Craven, William Walker, 
John Kerr, Joseph Hart, and their successors duly elected and 
appointed in such manner and form as hereinafter is directed, be, 
and they are hereby made and constituted a Corporation and Body 
politic in law and in fact, to have continuance forever by the name, 
style and title of " The Trustees of the Presbyterian Church, in 
Warwick Township, in the County of Bucks." 

Sec. IV. And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, 
that the said corporation and their successors, by the name, style 
and title aforesaid, shall forever hereafter be persons able and ca- 
pable in law, as well to take, receive and hold all and all manner 
of lands, tenements, rents, annuities, franchises, and other heredit- 
aments, which at any time or times heretofore have been granted, 
bargained, sold, enfeofifed, released, devised, or otherwise conveyed 



APPENDIX. 291 

to the said Presbyterian Church in Warwick Township and County- 
aforesaid, or to the reUgious congregation worshipping therein, 
now under the pastoral charge and care of the Rev. Nathaniel 
Irwin, or to any other person or persons to their use and interest 
for them, and the same lands, tenements, rents, annuities, liberties, 
franchises, and other hereditaments, are hereby vested and estab- 
lished in the said Corporation and their successors forever, accord- 
ing to their original use and intention. And the said Corporation 
and their successors are hereby declared to be seized and possessed 
of such estate and estates therein as in and by the respective 
grants, bargains, sales, enfeoffments, releases, devises, or other con- 
veyances thereof, is or are declared, limited, or expressed, as also 
that the said Corporation and their successors aforesaid, at all times 
hereafter shall be capable and able to purchase, have, receive, take, 
hold and enjoy in fee simple, or any lesser estate or estates, any 
lands, tenements, rents, annuities, liberties, franchises, and other 
hereditaments, by the gift, grant, bargain, sale, alienation, enfeoff- 
ment, release, confirmation, or devise of any person or persons, 
bodies politic and corporate, capable and able to make the 
same ; and further, that the said Corporation may take and receive 
any sum or sums of money, and any manner or portion of goods 
and chattels, that shall be given or bequeathed to them by any 
person or persons, bodies politic and corporate, capable to make a 
bequest or gift thereof, such money, goods and chattels to be laid 
out by them in a purchase or purchases of lands, tenements, mes- 
suages, houses, rents, annuities, or hereditaments, to them and 
their successors forever, or monies lent on interest, or otherwise 
disposed of, according to the intention of the donors. 

Sec. V. And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid 
that the rents, profits and interest of the said real and personal es- 
tate of the said Church and Corporation shall by the said Trustees 
and their successors from time to time be applied for the mainten- 
ance and support of the Pastor or Pastors of the said Church, for 
salaries to their clerk and sexton, in the maintenance and support 
of a school, and in repairing and maintaining their lot and house of 
public worship, burial ground, parsonage house or houses, school- 



292 APPENDIX. 

house or houses, and other tenements, which now do or hereafter 
shall belong to the said Church and Corporation. 

Sec. VI. And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, 
that if hereafter the building for public worship, or any other tene- 
ment belonging to the said Church and Corporation, shall be burnt, 
endamaged, or otherwise rendered unfit for use, or if hereafter the 
said house of public worship shall appear to be too small to ac- 
commodate the congregation, whereby it shall become necessary to 
rebuild or repair the same, that then and in such case it may be 
lawful for the said Corporation and their successors to make sale or 
otherwise dispose of any part or parcel of said real or personal 
estate other than the site of the house of public worship, burial 
ground or grounds, parsonage house or houses, school-house or 
houses, for the purposes aforementioned and not otherwise. 

Sec. VII. Provided always, and be it further enacted by the au- 
thority aforesaid, that in the disposal and application of the public 
monies of the said Corporation, or in making sale or disposition of 
any part or parcel of the real or personal estate of the said Corpo- 
ration for any of the purposes aforementioned, and public inti- 
mation of a meeting of the members of said Church being given as 
hereinafter is directed, the consent and concurrence of the major 
part of the regular members of said church then met and qualified 
as hereinafter is directed, shall be had and obtained ; and the votes 
hereinafter directed to be taken shall be by ballot, and also that 
the said Trustees, in like manner qualified, shall be admitted to 
vote therein as members of the said church. 

Sec. VIII. And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, 
that the said Trustees and their successors shall not by deed, fine, 
or recovery, or by any other ways or means, grant, alien, or other- 
wise dispose of any manors, messuages, lands, tenements or hered- 
itaments in them or their successors vested, or hereafter to be 
vested, nor charge nor incumber the same to any person or persons 
whatsoever, except as hereinbefore is excepted. 

Sec. IX. And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, 
that the said Trustees and their successors, or the majority of any 
five of them met, from time to time, after public intimation given 



APPENDIX. 



293 



the preceding Lord's Day, commonly called Sunday, from the desk 
or pulpit of said church, immediately after divine service, before 
the congregation is dismissed, or after regular notice in writing left 
at the house of each Trustee, and the particular business having 
been mentioned at least one meeting before, be authorized and 
empowered, and they are hereby authorized and empowered to 
make rules and bye-laws and ordinances, and to do everything 
needful for the good government and support of the secular aftairs 
•of the said church. 

Sec. X. Provided always, that the said bye-laws, rules and ordi- 
nances, or any of them, be not repugnant to the laws of this Com- 
monwealth, and that all their proceedings be fairly and regularly 
•entered in a church book to be kept for that purpose ; and also 
that the said Trustees and their successors, by plurality of 
votes of any five or more of them met as aforesaid, after such 
intimation or notice as aforesaid, be authorized and empowered, 
and they are hereby authorized and empowered to elect and 
.appoint from among themselves a President, and also to elect 
and appoint from among themselves or others a Treasurer and 
Secretary, and the same President, Treasurer and Secretary, or any 
of them at their pleasure to remove, change, alter, or continue, as 
to them or a majority of any five of them or more so met, as afore- 
said from time to time, shall seem to be most for the benefit of the 
said Church and Corporation. 

Sec. XL And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, 
that the said Corporation and their successors shall have full power 
and authority to make, have and use one common Seal, with such 
device and inscription as they shall think proper, and the same to 
break, alter and renew at their pleasure. 

Sec. XII. And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, 
that the said Corporation and their successors by the name of 
"The Trustees of the Presbyterian Church in Warwick Township, 
in the County of Bucks," aforesaid, shall be able and capable in 
Law to sue or be sued, plead and be impleaded, in any court or 
<iourts, before any Judge or Judges, Justice or Justices, in all and all 
manner of suits, complaints, pleas, causes, matters, and demands of 



294 APPENDIX. 

whatsoever kind, nature, or form they may be, and all and every 
matter and thing therein in as full and effectual a manner as any 
other person or persons, bodies politic or corporate, within this 
Commonwealth, may or can do. 

Sec. XIII. And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, 
that the said Corporation shall always consist of nine members, 
called and known by the name of " The Trustees of the Presbyte- 
rian Church in Warwick Township, in the County of Bucks," and 
the said members shall at all times hereafter be chosen by ballot, 
by a majority of such members met together of the said church or 
congregation, as shall have been inrolled in the aforesaid Book as 
stated worshippers with the said church for not less than the space 
of one year, and shall have paid one year's pew rent, or other 
annual sum of money, not less than ten shillings [$1.33], for the 
support of the Pastor or Pastors and other officers of the said 
church, their house of public worship and lots and tenements be- 
longing to the said church and corporation, and towards the other 
necessary expenses of the said church, and shall not at any time 
of voting be more than one-half year behind or in arrears for the 
same. 

Sec. XIV. Provided always, that the Pastor or Pastors of the 
said church for the time being shall be entitled to vote equally 
with any member of the said Church or Congregation. 

Sec. XV. And provided also, that all and every person or per- 
sons qualified as aforesaid to vote and elect, shall and may be 
capable and able to be elected a Trustee as aforesaid, except in 
case of the said church having two pastors, and one of them only 
to be eligible at the same time. 

Sec. XVI. And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, 
that the said Richard Walker, Benjamin Snodgrass, William Scott, 
William Long, Nathan McKinstry, Giles Craven, William Walker, 
John Kerr, and Joseph Hart, the first and present Trustees hereby 
incorporated, shall be and continue Trustees aforesaid, until they 
be removed in manner following, that is to say, one-third part 
herein first named and appointed, shall cease and discontinue, and 
their appointment determine on the second Monday in the month. 



APPENDIX. 295 

ofMay, which will be in the year of ouv Lord 1783, upon which 
day a new election shall be had and held of so many others in 
their stead and place, by a majority of the persons met and quali- 
fied agreeable to the purport, true intent, and meaning of this 
act, to vote and elect as aforesaid ; and on the second Monday in 
the month of May in the year following, the second third part in 
number of the said Trustees herein named shall in hke manner 
cease and discontinue, and their appointment determine, and a 
new election be had and held of so many in their place and stead 
in like manner ; and on the second Monday in May in the year then 
next following, the last third part in number of the said Trustees 
shall in like manner cease and discontinue, and their appointment 
determine, and a new election be had and held in like manner as 
herein before is directed; and that in the same manner and by the 
like mode of rotation, one-third part in number of the said Trus- 
tees shall cease, discontinue, and their appointment determine, 
and a new election of said third part be had and held in manner 
aforesaid, and on the second Monday in the month of May in 
every year forever, so that no person or persons shall be or con- 
tinue a Trustee or Trustees of said Church for any longer time than 
three years together without being re-elected. 

Sec. XVII. Provided always, that the persons belonging to the 
said church, Avho are in and by this act authorized and empowered 
to elect, shall and may be at liberty to re-elect any one or more of 
the said Trustees, whose times shall have expired on the day of 
the annual election, whenever and so often as they shall think fit. 
Sec. XVIII. Provided also, that whenever any vacancy hap- 
pens by the death, refusal to serve, or removal of any one or 
more of the Trustees aforesaid, pursuant to the directions of this 
act, an election shall be had of some fit person or persons in 
his or their place and stead so dying, refusing, or removing, as 
soon as conveniently can be done ; and that the person or persons 
so elected shall be, remain, and continue as a Trustee or Trustees 
aforesaid so long without a new election as the person or persons, 
in whose place and stead he or they shall have been so elected as 
aforesaid, would or might have remained and continued, and no 



296 APPENDIX. 

longer; and that in all cases of a vacancy happening by the means 
in this act last mentioned, the remaining Trustees shall be empow- 
ered to call a meeting of the electors for supplying the said 
vacancy, such meeting to be notified and published in like manner 
as herein before directed and appointed for notifying and appoint- 
ing the ixieeting of the Trustees. 

Sec. XIX. Provided always, and it is hereby enacted by the 
authority aforesaid, That the clear yearly value or income of the 
messuages, houses, lands, tenements, rents, annuities, or other 
hereditaments and real estate of the said Corporation shall not 
exceed the sum of one thousand pounds [$2,666.66], lawful money 
of the State of Pennsylvania, to be taken and esteemed exclusive 
of the monies arising from the letting of the pews, and the con- 
tributions belonging to the said church, and also exclusive of the 
monies arising from the opening the ground or burials; which 
said money shall be received by the said Trustees, and disposed of 
by them in the manner herein before directed, pursuant to the 
votes of the members of the said Church duly qualified to vote and 
elect as aforesaid. 

Signed by order of the House, 

FREDERICK A. MUHLENBERG, Speaker. 

Enacted into a Law at Philadelphia on 1 
Friday, the Twentieth Day of September, | 
in the Year of our Lord One Thousand 
Seven Hundred and Eighty-two. j 

Peter Z. Lloyd, 

Clerk of the^General Assembly. 



APPENDIX. 297 



c. 



BY-LAWS OF THE CORPOEATION OF NESHAMINY 
PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. 

1784. 

Be it enacted by the Corporation of the Presbyterian Church of Nesh- 
aminy. 

Section I. That the foMowing' Rules shall be observed in enacting 
the By-Laws of this Corporation, viz. : 

1. Ever}' Bill intended to become a Law shall be read at two 
legal meetings of the Corporation, and approved by a majority of 
the members present. 

2. Six days notice previous to the last reading shall be given 
publicly either from the pulpit immediately after divine service, or 
by advertisements affixed to two trees near the church. The notice 
to state the general purpose of the bill. 

3. The Bill may be amended at each meeting, but if the princi- 
ple of it should be essentially altered at the second reading, it shall 
not be finally passed, till it is approved in another legal meeting, 
whereof previous notice shall be given as aforesaid. 

4. The Law having passed, shall be fairly transcribed into the 
Book containing the fair minutes of the Corporation, and sealed 
with the common seal, signed by the President and attested by the 
Secretary. 

Sec. II. Every law before it comes into operation shall be pub- 
licly read from the pulpit or clerk's desk immediately after divine 
service, or on one of the meetings of business. But in cases, that 
do not admit of delay, it shall be a sufficient publication, if the law 
is read publicly at a meeting of the church called for the special 
purpose. 

Sec. III. And so often as the Corporation judge it expedient, 
they shall cause their Secretary or another member to read any 
law or laws publicly to the people at any meeting on a common 
day of the week after divine service. 



298 APPENDIX. 

D. 
By-Laws. 

AN ACT CONCERNING THE BURYING GROUND. 

1810. 

Section I. Be it enacted by the Corporation of the Presbyterian 
Church of Neshaminy, That the following persons shall be entitled 
to free burial, paying only y® customary fee to the sexton for his 
labor, &c. 

1. The poor of the congregation and vicinity. 

2. Persons without family, who pay the annual sum of at least 
seventy cents toward the support of the Gospel, provided that the 
same or any part of it is not due and unpaid more than eighteen 
months. 

3. The families of householders, the heads of 'which pay at least 
the annual siun of one dollar and forty cents, and are not in arrears 
as aforesaid. 

Sec. II. And be it further enacted, that those persons, who con- 
tributed the amount of $1.33 to either of the two last repairs of 
the grave-yard wall shall be entitled to free burial as aforesaid for 
themselves and families, until the Corporation shall otherwise 
order. 

Sec. III. And be it further enacted, that for every corpse 
interred in the burying-ground, except as above, there shall be 
paid to the sexton at or before the interment the sum of $1.50, 
besides the customary fee for his service, to be accounted for by 
him in the annual settlement of his salary. The sexton shall ex- 
hibit an account to the Corporation, at their meeting of business 
in May, of the extra sums as above, received by him the preceding 
year. 

[In 1830 the foregoing Section III was repealed, and the follow- 
ing Section was substituted in its place.] 

Sec. III. And be it further enacted, that for every corpse in- 
terred in the burying-ground, exceutins: as above, and excepting 



APPENDIX, 299 

the unanimous consent of the Committee of repairs of the Cor- 
poration be first obtained, there shall be paid to the sexton for the 
time being the sum of $1.50 (of which he shall retain one-third, 
or 50 cents, for collecting), besides the customary fee for his ser- 
vices ; and for the remainder he shall account to the Corporation 
annually. 



By-Laws. 
ACT CONCERmNG THE PEWS, PEW-EENTS, &c. 

Section I. Be it enacted by the Trustees of the Presbyterian 
Church in Warwick Township in the County of Bucks, that a 
quorum of the Trustees being met at the meeting of business in 
May annuallj', they shall by plurality of votes choose three per- 
sons, of whom two at least shall be Trustees, whose duty it shall 
be to let the pews for the ensuing year; — that any one of them 
may do the duty, except when there are different applicants for 
the same seat, or disputes arise, when the majority shall decide. 
From their decision an appeal may be had to the Corporation at 
the next meeting of business, but not afterwards. Should any- 
thing prevent settlers of the j^ews being chosen on the day afore- 
said, they may be chosen at any subsequent meeting of the 
Corporation, and the i^ersons in office continue to do the duty in 
the interval. 

Sec. II. And be it further enacted, that the settlers in letting 
the pews shall observe the following Rules, viz. : 

When a seat or part of it becomes vacant by the death of the 
holder, the preference in letting the same shall be given to his 
widow, his son or sons who are of lawful age, his daughter or 
daughters who may remain single, and are above twenty-one years 
of age. If there is no widow or children of said age, the settlers 
may exercise their discretion. If more of these relatives claim 
than the vacant room will supply, and they cannot agree among 



300 APPENDIX. 

themselves, the settlers shall decide. If none of these relatives 
claim, other claimants shall take preference as in the next section. 

Sec. III. Be it further enacted, when a seat or anj'- part of it 
becomes vacant by the resignation or removal of the holder, the 
preference shall be given to other holders in the same seat, who 
may wish to have the vacant room for their own benefit, and if 
more of these claim than y^ room will satisfy, y^ settlers shall 
decide. 

Sec. IV. Be it further enacted, that any person residing at more 
than ten miles distance from the church, shall have a right to hold 
a pew or part of a pew therein, paying for the same agreeably to 
this act. 

Provided always, that if a resident member apply for the room 
thus held, and is willing to pay the arrears due thereon not exceed- 
ing eighteen months, the settlers shall have a right to let it to such 
apiDlicant or not at their discretion, and as circumstances may 
direct. 

Sec. V. Be it further enacted, that no pew-holder shall have a 
right to let for pay any part of a pew, on pain of forfeiting the 
right therein, without the consent of the Corporation ; other per- 
son or persons commonly using the same for twelve months shall 
be conclusive evidence of such letting, unless satisfactory proof is 
made to the contrary. 

Sec. VI. Be it further enacted, that it shall be the duty of the 
collectors to attend the meetings of business, spring and fall, and of 
the seat holders to pay their pew-rents to them at these times. In 
case of the absence of a collector, they may pay to y® President of 
the Corporation. 

Sec. VII. Be it further enacted, that if a seat holder's pew-rent 
or any part of it shall at any time be in arrear, and due more than 
twelve months, the seat settlers shall have a right to let his room 
to another. 

Sec. VIII. Be it further enacted, that when vacancies arise in 
y« following pews, viz. : Nos. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 :— 17, 18, 19, 
20, 21, 22, 23, the persons afterward renting a seat or seats in any 
of them shall be liable to pay the arrears due on the part so taken, 
not exceeding eighteen months. 



APPENDIX. 301 

Sec. IX. Be it further enacted, that no forfeiture shall be in- 
curred under the seventh section of the act till after the meeting 
of business next autumn. [1784.] 



■ F. 

COPY OF A DEED OF TEUST FOE THE LOT, ON WHICH 
THE PEESENT CHUECH STANDS, DATED FEBEUAEY, 

1744-5. 

This Indenture made the day of February in the eighteenth 

year of the Eeign of our Sovereign Lord George the Second, by the 
grace of God of Great Britain, France, and Ireland King, Defender 
of the Faith, &c., Anno Domini 174^5, Between James Craven of 
Warminster in the County of Bucks and Province of Pennsylvania, 
yeoman, John Gray of Warrington in the said County, yeoman, 
Alexander Jemyson of Warwick in the said County, yeoman, 
Eobert Walker of the said Township and County, yeoman, John 
McCulloch of the said Township and County, yeoman, George 
Hiear of the said Township and County, yeoman, Henry Jemyson, 
Jun., of the said Township and County, yeoman, and John Scott 
of the said Township and County, weaver, of the one part. 

And Eichard Walker, Daniel Craige, William Craigton, and 
Thomas Craige, all of Warrington, in the said County of Bucks, 
yeomen, Eobert Jemyson, Samuel Faries, and James Poak, all of 
Warwick and County of Bucks aforesaid, yeomen, Archibald 
Kelsey of New Britain in the said County, and James Carrell of 
Northam^Dton in the said County, yeomen, 

(All members of the Protestant Congregation at Warwick afore- 
said, and the adjacent townships of the denomination of Presby- 
terians owning the doctrine of the Holy Scriptures, the doctrine, 
worship, and discipline of the Church of Scotland, as set forth in 
the Westminster Confession of Faith, Catechisms, and Directory 
for worship and discipline, and also believing and owning this late 



302 APPENDIX. 

work, that hath appeared in this land, New England, and Scotland 
in calling sinners to repentance to be the work of God, usually 
assembling for public worship at their meeting house in Warwick 
aforesaid, under the care of the Eev. Charles Beatty) of the other 
part. 

Whereas, Thomas Howell and Catharine his wife by certain in- 
dentures of lease and release duly executed, dated the first and 
second days of July, Anno Domini One thousand seven hundred 
and forty-three for the consideration therein mentioned, did grant, 
release, and confirm unto the said James Craven, John Gray, 
Alexander Jemyson, Eobert Walker, John McCulloch, George 
Hiear, Henry Jemyson, Junr., and John Scott, 

A certain piece or parcel of land situate in Warwick in the 
County of Bucks aforesaid, Beginning at a Post for a corner in the 
line of William Miller, Junr's land, being also a corner of William 
Miller Sen's land, extending thence by the same North East twenty 
three perches to a stone for a corner, thence South East fourteen 
perches to a post for a corner, thence South West twenty three 
perches to another post in the said William Miller Junior's land, 
bounded in both the last courses by the said Thomas Howell's 
land, thence by the said William Miller's land North West fourteen 
perches to the first mentioned post, the place of beginning, 

Containing two acres and two square perches (be it more or less 
within the boundaries aforesaid) To hold to them, the said James 
Craven, John Gray, Alexander Jemyson, Eobert Walker, John 
McCulloch, George Hiear, Henry Jemyson Jun., and John Scott, 
their heirs and assigns forever, as in and by the said indentures, 
relation thereunto being had more fully may appear, 

Now this Indenture Witnesseth, and it is hereby testified and ex- 
pressed by all the said parties, parties to these presents, that they, 
the said James Craven, John Gray, Alexander Jemyson, Robert 
Walker, John McCulloch, George Hiear, Henry Jemyson Jun., and 
John Scott do stand so seized and interessed in all and every 
premises. Respectively only in trust to and for the use, benefit, and 
behoof of the members and persons belonging to the said religious 
Congregation, and to such persons of the same faith and order as 
hereafter shall be united and joined together with them in Gospel 



APPENDIX. 303 

order and fellowship, thereon to build a meeting house for the 
public worship and service of God, and for a place to bury their 
dead forever, and to no other use, intent, or purpose whatsoever. 
And it is covenanted granted, and concluded by all the parties, 
parties to these presents, that it shall and may be lawful for the 
said James Craven, John Gray, Alexander Jemyson, Robert 
Walker, John McCuUoch, George Hiear, Henry Jemj'son Jun., 
and John Scott, or any that shall succeed them in the said trust, 
with the consent of the present incumbent Mr. Beatty before 
named, and the male communicants of the said congregation, or 
any other minister, successor of the said Mr. Beatty, and the male 
communicating members of the same congregation for the time be- 
ing, at any time or times hereafter to erect and build any such house 
or houses on the said land for the public Avorship and service of 
God, as shall be necessary and beneficial for the said congregation, 
and that they may amend, alter, and enlarge any such house or 
houses as need may require, and that they may also appropriate 
a,nd allot some part of the said land for a burying place, where the 
persons and members of the said congregation may bury their dead 
forever, and the said James Craven, John Gray, Alexander Jemy- 
son, Robert Walker, John McCulloch, George Hiear, Henry 
Jemyson Jun., and John Scott, for themselves severally and their 
respective heirs, executors, and administrators, do covenant, 
promise, and grant to and with the said Richard Walker, Daniel 
Craige, William Craigton, Thomas Craige, Robert Jemyson, Samuel 
Paries, James Poak, Archibald Kelsey, and James Carrell, and the 
survivors and survivor of them and the heirs of such survivor, that 
they the said James Craven, John Gray, Alexander Jemyson, 
Robert Walker, John McCulloch, George Hiear, Henry Jemyson 
Jun., and John Scott, nor any nor either of them, nor any of their 
heirs, executors, or Administrators, nor any succeeding them in the 
said trust shall admit or suffer any Minister to preach or teach in 
any house or houses, that shall be built on the said land, without 
the consent of the communicating members of the said congrega- 
tion for the time being ; and also that upon the reasonable request 
and at the proper cost and charge of the said Richard Walker, 
Daniel Craige, William Craigton, Thomas Craige, Robert Jemyson, 



304 



APPENDIX. 



Samuel Faries, James Poak, Archibald Kelsey, and James Carrell, 
they will convey in due form of law the above mentioned piece or 
parcel of land with the appurtenances to such person or persons, 
and at such time or times as the communicating members of the 
said congregation for the time being shall appoint and direct ; 

And it is the true intent and meaning of these presents and of all 
the parties hereunto, that neither the said James Craven, John 
Gray, Alexander Jemyson, Robert Walker, John McCulloch, 
George Hiear, Henry Jemyson, Jr., and John Scott, their heirs, 
executors or administrators, nor either of them, nor any other 
person -or persons succeeding them in the said trust, that shall be 
declared by the members of the said congregation for the time 
being to be out of unity with them, shall be capable to execute the 
said trust or stand seized to the uses aforesaid, nor have any right 
or interest of, in, or to, the premises or any part or jDarcel thereof, 
while he or they shall so remain ; But that in all such cases, as also 
when either or any of them, or others succeeding them in the said 
trust, shall depart this life, that then it shall be lawful to and for 
the said Eichard "Walker, Daniel Craige, William Craigton, Thomas 
Oraige, Eobert Jemyson, Samuel Faries, James Poak, Achibald 
Kelsey, and James Carrell, with the consent of the aforesaid pres- 
ent incumbent Charles Beatty and his successors and the male 
communicating members of the said congregation to elect and 
choose others to the said trust that shall be in unity with them 
and of the same faith and order. 

In witness whereof the said parties to these presents have inter- 
changeably set their hands and seals hereunto. Dated the day and 
year first above written. 



HIS 

John x McCulloch. 

MAEK. 

George Hair. 


[Seal.] 
[Seal.] 


Henry Jemyson. 


[Seal.] 


HIS 

John x Scott. 

MARK. 

Jacobus Craven. 


[Seal] 
[Seal.] 


John Gray. 


[Seal.] 


Alexander Jemyson, 


[Seal.] 


Robert Walker. 


[Seal.] 



APPENDIX. 



305 



Sealed and delivered in the presence of Moses Crawford and 
Archibald Crawford. 

Be it remembered, that on the fifteenth day of Jime, Anno Dom- 
ini One thousand seven hundred and forty-five, before me, Simon 
Butler, one of the Justices of the peace for the County of Bucks, 
came the within named James Craven, John Gray, Alexander 
Jemyson, Eobert Walker, John McCuUoch, George Hair, Henry 
Jemyson, Jr., and John Scott, and brought the within written in- 
denture, or declaration of trust, which they and each of them 
respectively did acknowledge to be their act and deed, and desired 
that the same may be recorded as their deed. 

Witness my hand and seal the day and year above said, 

SIMON BUTLER. [Seal.] 

Recorded the 3rd Day of February, A. D. 1748. 



G. 



ELDERS OF NESHAMINY CHURCH, FROM THE EARLIEST 
DATE SO FAR AS KNOWN. 



1743, Richard Walker, 

1748, John Gray, 

Robert Jamison, 

1794, Benjamin Snodgrass, 
John Ramsey, 
Robert Jamison, 
Samuel Mann, 
William Walker, 

1810, Stephen Murray, 
William Mearns, 
Isaac Craven, 

1815, John Weir, 

1820, Jonathan Roberts, 

1825, Gideon Prior, 



1830, James Horner, 
Samuel Craven, 

1838, William M. White, 
William Jamison, 
James Weir, 
Hugh Mearns, 

1839, Nathan McKinstry, 
Joseph Carrell, 
Joseph Carr, 

1848, John McNair, 

Henry McKinstry, 

1872, Stacy B. Beans, 

R. Henderson Darrah, 
Cephas Ross. 



306 



APPENDIX. 



H. 

TREASUKERS OF NESHAMINY CHURCH. 

THE YEAR DENOTES WHEN THEY WERE ELECTED THE FIRST TIME. 



1745, 


Robert Jamison, 


1796, 


Robert Mearns, 


1746, 


Ricliard Walker, 


1808, 


Robert Ramsey, 


1756, 


Robert Stewart, 


1811, 


John Carr, 


1768, 


Hugh Bartley, 


1812, 


James Darrah, 


1773, 


Benjamin Snodgrass, 


1814, 


Robert Mearns, 


1783, 


John Kerr, 


1827, 


Hugh Mearns, 


1785, 


William Long, 


1839, 


William Carr, 


1787, 


John Greir, 


1841, 


Joseph Hart, 


1789, 


Elijah Stinson, 


1860, 


George Ramsey. 



I. 



TRUSTEES OF NESHAMINY CHURCH, WARWICK, PA. 

Between 1743 . and 1782, all who acted in this capacity are not 
known in consequence of imperfect records. 

The date given denotes the year when the persons mentioned 
were first elected. Many of them served for different periods, and 
some of them for many years. 



1743, James Craven, 

John Gray, 

Alexander Jamison, 

Robert Walker, 

John McCulloch, 

George Hair, 

Henry Jamison, Jr., 

John Scott, 
1745, Robert Jamison, 



1746, Richard Walker, 

1753, Francis Rickey, 
William McDonnel, 
Robert Scott, 

1754, John Wigton, 
James Polk, 
Samuel Weir, 

1755, Matthew Haines, 
Trustram Davie, 



APPENDIX. 



307 



1755, John Boggs, 

1756, Robert Stewart, 
1762, Daniel Craig, 

1767, James Wallace, 
William Long, 

1768, Hagh Bartley, 
1773, Benjamin Snodgrass, 
1782, William Scott, 

Nathan McKinstry, 
Giles Craven, 
William Walker, 
John Kerr, 
Joseph Hart, 

1784, James Snodgrass, 
Thomas Craig, 
Gayen Edams, 

1785, John Greir, 
Hugh Mearns, 

1787, Rev. Nathaniel Irwin, 
William Ramsey, 
Robert Jamison, Sen., 

1788, Robert Jamison, Jr., 
John Carr, 
Samuel Mann, 

1789, Samuel Hines, 
Elijah Stinson, 
John Horner, 

1790, Robert Mearns, Jr., 

1791, Samuel Polk, 

1794, Capt. William Long, 
John Todd, 
Francis Baird, 

1795, James Darrah, 

1796, John Barclay, 

1797, John Crawford, Jr., 
1801, John Jamison, 



1807, Robert Jamison (son of 

Henry), 
1810, James Polk, 

Samuel Hart, 
1812, John Harvey, 

Robert Ramsey, 
1814, John Mann, 

John Long, 

1816, James Flack, 
Thomas Craven, 

1817, Hugh Long, 

1818, William Long (Farmer), 
Gideon Prior, 

1819, William Carr, 
James Horner, 

1820, Samuel McNair, 

1821, Samuel Mann, 
1823, John Stinson, 

1827, John S. Grier, 
Hugh Mearns, 

1828, Samuel Craven, 
Henry Darrah, 

1829, Nathan McKinstry, 
Jonathan Roberts, 

1831, William M. White, 
John Horner, 

1832, Joseph Hart, 
Joseph Carr, 

1834, William Jamison, 

1835, William R. Blair, 

1836, John M. Craven, 

1837, William H. Long, 
James G. Thomson, 
James P. Wilson, 

1838, Samuel McNair, Jr., 
Andrew Long, 



308 



APPENDIX. 



1838, John Bready, 
Robert McKinstry, 
John Polk, 

1839, William Long, Jr., 

1841, Robert Darrah, 

1842, John C. Beans, 

1845, William C. Jamison, 
Matthew Wilson, 

1846, Dr. Washington Matthews, 
1848, George Jamison, 

1851, Charles Long, 
1853, John Blair Ramsey, 



1854, Courtland Carr, 

1855, John McKinstry, 
1857, Mahlon Long, 

1859, Jacob H. Rogers, 
George Ramsey, 

1860, William H. Stuckert, 

1861, Isaac W. Spencer, 
Wilson Brady, 

1864, Theodore Flack, 
1867, John M. Darrah, 
1874, Hiram Carr, 

John J. Spencer. 



J. 



SEXTONS. 



1748, John Miller, 
1768, Benjamin Hamilton, 
1784, " Negroe Cupid," 
1800, Laurence Emery, 
1803, John Barns, 
1827, John Polk, 



1828, Amos Torbert, 
1833, John McDowell, 
1836, Amos Torbert, 
1852, William Radcliff, 
1870, Cornelius Corson. 



K. 



COLLECTORS OF PEW RENTS. 

Appointed by vote of the Congregation and drawn by ballot for 
their respective quarters in the following order. 

1793. 

North West Quarter. 

James Finley, 



Robert Flack, 
WilUam Darroch, 



James Darroch, 



APPENDIX. 



309 



^ James Snodgrass, 
Samuel Hynes, 
John Simpson, Jr., 
Robert Walker, 
Jacob Hufty, 
Joseph Wright, 



William 



Henry Veon, 

Andrew Long, Jr., 

William Long (son of Wm.), 

William Whittenham, 

Andrew Boyd, 

John Long, 



William Walker, 
Moses Dunlap, 
William Hynes, 
John Weir, 
John Todd. 

Long's Quarter. 

Thomas Craig, 
Hugh Long, 
Samuel Poalk, 
Robert Ewers, 
John Roberts. 



North East Quarter. 



John McGrady, Sen., 

Gauin McGrady, 

Samuel McGrady, 

Robert Jamison, Jr., 

Elijah Stinson, 

Robert Jamison (son of Robt. 

James McMinn, 



Robert Jamison, Sen., 
Jonathan Roberts, 
Charles McMicken, 
Jesse Anderson, 
John Jamison, 
John Kerr. 



Samuel Mann, 
John Roney, 
Stephen Murrey, 
William Barns, 
James Kirkpatrick, 

Hamilton Roney, 
John Carr, 
William Hart, 
Hugh Edams, 
John Ramsey, Jr., 
William Scott, 



South Quarter. 

Isaac Carryl, 
James Poalk, 
Peter Kerr, 
Col. Hart, 
John Horner. 

East Quarter. 

Thomas Craven, Jr. 
Isaac Craven, 
William Mearns, 
Francis Baird, 
H. Vansant. 



310 



APPENDIX. 



James Barclay, 
Benjamin Snodgrass, 
James Kirk, 
John Crawford, Jr., 
David Johnson, 



JSToRTH Quarter. 

Robert McKinstry, 
Henry McKinstry, 
William Hare, 
John Flack, 
John Grier. 



COLLECTORS OF PEW RENTS. 

1807. 



Archibald Scott, 
John Carr, 
Giles Craven, 
William Mearns, 
Lott Carr, 
John Hart, 

Robert Mearns, 
Joseph Carr, 



Jonathan Delaney, 
James Kirkpatrick, 
Hugh Long, 
Samuel Mann, 
Samuel McNair, 
Gideon Prior, 
Isaac Craven, 
James McNeil, 



Quarter No. I. 



Francis Baird, 
Jacob Carrell, 
James Adams, 
Robert Cummins, 
Robert Ramsey, 
Adam Kerr, 
William Ramsey. 



Quarter No. II. 



John Harvey, Jr., 
Cornelius Carrell, 
Isaac Carrell, 
John Rankin, 
Andrew Reed, 
Samuel Henderson, 
William Barns, 
James Darrah. 



Quarter No. III. 
William Long (Schoolmaster), David Dowlin, 



APPENDIX. 



311 



William Long (Miller), 
Thomas Griffith, 
Jesse Rubinkam, Jr., 
Lawrence Emory, 



Thomas M. Flack, 
James Kirk, 
James Finley, 
Joseph Wright, 
John Todd, 



Captain John Crawford, 
David Titus, 
Andrew McMicken, 
WilHam Titus, 
Richard Walker, 
John Mann, Jr., 
William McEwen, 



Wm. Long (son of Hugh), 
William Whittenham, 
John Long, 
Robert Thompson. 



Quarter No. IV. 



Robert Walker, 
James Weir, Jr., 
Nathaniel Dunlap, 
Robert Flack, 
Robert McKinstry. 



Quarter No. V. 



James Snodgrass, 
William Haire, 
John Stewart Grier, 
James McEwen, 
William Wiley. 
Andrew McEwen. 



Quarter No. VI. 



Abraham DeCoursey, 
Robert Jamison (son of John), 
John Robinson, 
Jonathan Roberts, 
Thomas Barr, 

Andrew Long (son of A. Long, 
Esq.), 



Hercules Roney, 

James Jamison (son of Robert), 

John Jamison (son of John), 

John Jamison (son of Robert), 

Robert Jamison, Jr., 

Elijah Stinson, 

Hamilton Roney. 



312 



APPENDIX. 



M. 

COLLECTOES OF PEW RENTS. 

1843. 

Upper Warwick, Jacob H. Rogers. 
Lower Warwick, William Bready. 
Upper Warminster, Joseph Carr. 
Lower Warminster, Joseph Carrell. 
Warrington, James McKinstry. 



'N. 



LIST OF PEWHOLDERS 

On an old ground plan of the Church, in the handwriting of Rev. 
N. Irwin, without date, but supposed to have been first prepared 
about 1785, with additions afterwards : 



Sam.uel Mann, 
Paul Dowling, 
James Kirk, 
Mary Torrance, 
Samuel Holmes, 
David Dowling, 
Robert Jamison, 
Benjamin Haines, 
Deborah Titus, 
William Hair, 
William Titus, 
Martha Ramsay, 
William Thompson, 
Robert Weir, 
James Millar, 



Joseph Wright, 
Samuel Wright, 
Margaret Walker, 
Isaac Johnson, 
Jane Wright, 
Eliza McGoochin, 
Robert Thompson, 
Mary Weir, 
Margaret Weir, 
John Scott, 
Margaret Barclay, 
Jesse Rubinkam, 
Andrew Scott, 
William Darrah, 
William Johnson, 



APPENDIX. 



313 



William Carnaghan, 

Isaac Carrel, 

Joseph Carr, 

John Stinson, 

John Bready, 

William Purdy, 

James Snodgrass, 

John Todd, 

Robert Jamison, Jr.. 

James Jennings, 
James Flack, 
William Hart, 
Robert Jamison, 
Elnathan Pettit, 
Josiah Hart, 
Eleanor Polk, 
Hugh Long, 
Samuel Hart, 
Mary McGill, 
John Jamison, 
David Johnson, 
William Knight, 
James McNeil, 
John McNeil, 
William Wiley, 
Daniel McNeil, 
Ananias Ramsaj', 
James McEwen, 
Adam Kerr, 
James Patterson, 
Margaret Miller, 
Daniel Knox, 
Andrew McEwen, 
Margaret Kerr, 
Lydia Kerr, 
John Torrence, 



John Torrence, Jr., 

Abraham Sutfin, 

Benjamin Hair, 

Sarah Love, 

Archibald McCorkle, 

Samuel McCorkle, 

Francis Campbell, 

James Boyd, 

John Stewart, 
Robert Ewer, 

James McMinn, 
Jannet Dougherty, 
David Dougherty, 
Ann Dougherty, 
Matthew McMinn, 
William Knight, 
John Dunlap, 
Jesse Anderson, 
Silas Barton, 
Sarah Jones, 
Samuel Murray, 
Nathaniel Dunlap, 
James Mclntire, 
Eleanor Dunlap, 
Thomas Barr, 
John Harvey, 
Esther Gilbert, 
John Armstrong, 
Abram DeCourcey, 
Matthew Jamison, 
Yardley Leedom, 
Thomas Craig, 
John Greir, 
John S. Greir, 
Nathaniel Irwin, 
Andrew Long, Esq., 



314 



APPENDIX. 



J. Barclay, Esq., 

John Kerr, 

William Long, 

Benjamin Snodgrass, 

William Eamsey, 

John Mann, 

William Walker, 

Robert Dunn, 

Robert Mearns, 

Robert Walker, 

Rebecca Walker, 

Richard Walker, 

Margaret Gravalle, 

Robert Flack, 

Ann Flack, 

William Harvey, 

Thomas W. Flack, 

Ann English, 

William Long, Schoolmaster, 

Robert McKinstry, 

John Marshall, 

Catharine Root, 

John Crawford, 

John Crawford, Jr., 

Robert Darrah, 

Hugh Adams, 

Samuel Weir, 

John Weir, 

Benjamin Watson, 

William Mearns, 

Elizabeth Carr, 

Mary Carr, 

John Carr, 

Lot Carr, 

Gideon Prior, 

Jonathan Delaney, 



Gawn McGraudy, 
John McGraudy, 
Samuel McGraudy, 
John Opdyke, 
John Bothwell, 
Thomas Percy, 
Ann Ingles, 
Mary McKinstry, 
Jane Blair, 
Frances Baird, 
Samuel Henderson, 
Hannah Simpson, 
Isabel Wallace, 
John Rankin, 
Samuel Flack, 
William Rankin, 
Ann Weir, 
John Barns, 
Edward Hays, 
Elijah Stinson, 
John Harvey, Jr., 
John Simpson, 
James Finley, 
Isaac Mann, 
Jacob Carrel, 
James McKinney, 
Barnard Carrel, 
Cornelius Carrel, 
Lucretia Carrel, 
Stephen Murray, 
Barnard Van Horn, 
Benjamin Hagaman, 
John Horner, 
Elizabeth Garrison, 
Charles Vansant, 
John Long, 



William Long, 
Jonathan Roberts, 
William Whittenham, 
Mary PufF, 
William Barns, 
Thomas Barns, 
John Lukens, 
John Ramsey, 
James Darrah, 
Henry McKinstry, 
Giles Craven, 
James Snodgrass, Jr., 
Ann McKinstry, 
Andrew McMighan, 
Charles McMighan, 
Margaret Huston, 
James Kirkpatrick, 
Mary Bothwell, 
Sarah Torrence, 
Thomas Powers, 
Jam.es Oliver, • 
Samuel Hart, 
Elizabeth Hynes, 
Matthew Hynes, 
William Hynes, 
William McEwen, 
Samuel McNair, Jr., 
Joseph Johnson, 
James Cummings, 



APPENDIX. 

James Polk, 
Hamilton Roney, 
Elizabeth Robhison, 
Robert Cummings, 
Elizabeth Long, 
Hubert Douglass, 
John Roberts, 
Robert Brady, 
William Carr, 
James Jamison, 
Thomas Roney, 
Thomas Roney, Jr., 
Thomas Griffith, 
William Picker, 
John Robinson, 
J. Vandevender, 
Hiram Roney, 
Andrew Long, Jr., 
John McGraudy, Jr., 
Solomon Hart, 
Edward Melawny, 
Henry Sutch, 
James McGee, 
Samuel Collins, 
William Powers, 
Laurence Emmery, 
John Matthews, 
Josiah Shaw, 
Robert Simms. 



315 



316 



APPENDIX. 



0. 



LIST OF SUBSCEIBERS FOR THE REPAIR OF THE GRAVE- 
YARD AND ENCLOSING OF GROUND TO THE BRISTOL 
ROAD. 

1851, 1852. 

PLAN ADOPTED BY THE TRUSTEES, SEPTEMBER 25, 1851. 



John C. Beans, 
Robert Darrah, 
William Long, 
George Jamison, 
Robert McKinstry, 
Charles Long, 
Mahlon Long, 
Amos Torbert, 
Matthew Wilson, 
Jane V. Craven, 
Joseph Carr, 
Joseph Hart, 
Anna Long, 
James P. Wilson, 
Courtland Carr, 
Hugh Long, 
J. R. Lawrence, 
Sarah Long, 
John Polk (Farmer), 
John Polk (Tanner), 
WilHam H. Stuckert, 
Samuel McNair, 
Mary Long, 
Mary Jamison, 
Jesse Rubincam, 
James McKinstry, 
Gideon Prior, 



John McNair, 
Alexander Brady, 
Henry Hamilton, 
Henry McKinstry, 
Robert Service, 
Charles Hamilton, 
Elijah Opdyke, 
Peter Mattis, 
Gilbert Hay, 
Margaret Long, 
Jacob Item, 
Samuel L. Carver, 
William Rubincam, 
Mary McNair, 
Daniel Carr, 
Henry Herrmann, 
Jacob H. Rogers, 
Jacob Stuckert, 
Mary Arnell, 
Marshall Cummings, 
Elizabeth Stewart, 
Benjamin Shearer, 
Washington Matthews, 
Samuel Lovett, 
Joseph Flack, 
William Patterson, 
Isaac Spencer, 



APPENDIX. 



31T 



William Hart, 
William Bothwell, 
Martha Jamison, 
George Eamsey, 
John McKinstry, 



John Ramsey, 
Margaret Wilson, 
John Watson, 
J. Blair Ramsey. 



P. 

LIST OF SUBSCRIBERS FOR THE PURCHASE OF THE 

ORGAN. 



John C. Beans, 

Charles Long, 

Mahlon Long, 

Robert Darrah, 

William Long, 

George Jamison, 

J, Blair Ramsey, 

Robert McKinstry, 

Amos Torbert, 

Jane V. Craven, 

Joseph Carr, 

Joseph Hart, 

Anna Long, 

Courtland Carr, 

Hugh Long, 
J. R. Lawrence, 
Hugh Long (Miller), 
John Polk, 
William H. Stuckert, 
Samuel McNair, 
Mary Long, 
Mary Jamison, 
James McKinstry, 



1853. 



Alexander Brady, 

Henry Hamilton, 

Henry McKinstry, 

Robert Service, 

Charles Hamilton, 

Elijah Opdyke, 

Peter Mattis, 

Margaret Long, 

Jacob Item, 

Samuel L. Carver, 

William Rubincam, 

Mary McNair, 

Daniel Carr, 

Henry Herrmann, 

Jacob H. Rogers, 
Jacob Stuckert, 
Mary Arnell, 
EUzabeth Stewart, 
Washington Matthews, 
Joseph Flack, 
Margaret Garnet, 
Caroline DoAvner, 
Levi Temple, 



318 



APPENDIX. 



L>ouglas K. Turner, 
Gideon Prior, 
John Polk, 
William Hart, 
William Bothwell, 
Martha Jamison, 
George Eamsey, 
John McNair, 
John McKinstry, 
George Brown, 



John Both Av ell, 
William Kneedler, 
James Lovett, 
John Temple, 
William Eutherford, 
Thomas Arnell, 
John Arnell, 
William Croasdell, 
William Ramsey, 
William Bready, 



Q. 



LIST OF SUBSCEIBEES TO THE BUILDING OF 
CEMETEEY CHAPEL. 

1871. 



THE 



IN PHILADELPHIA AND OTHER PLACES. 



B. Franklin Wright, 

Edwin Hart, 

John Hart, 

Mrs. Mary Watson, 

Mrs. Agnes F. Long, 

M. Lukens Long, 

John McEwen, 

Emily McCarter,' 

Eev. James P. Wilson, D. D., 

James E. Darrah, 

Mrs. Martha Darrah, 

Mrs. Anna W. Baird, 

Matthew Baird, 

John Wanamaker, 



James W. Carson, 
Mrs. Kate Graham, 
Eev. James A. Darrah, 
Mrs. Eebecca E. Philler, 
Elizabeth L. Grier, 
Margaretta Long, 
Eev. Azariah Prior, 
Eobert Grier, 
Mrs. Orilla Whitehead, 
Mrs. Ann E. Pearce, 
Josiah Hart, 
Mrs. Isabella Euckman, 
Mrs. Catharine Yerkes. 



APPENDIX. 



319 



AT NESHAMINY. 



Joseph Hart, 
Mrs. Catharine Darrah, 
Rachel Long, 
Mrs. Emily Mchols, 
Mrs. Eebecca Turner, 
Eev. D. K. Turner, 
George Jamison, 
John C. Beans, 
William Long, 
Marietta Long, 
Mrs. Mary Polk, 
Joseph Carr, 
Mrs. Jane Polk, 
Theodore Flack, 
John M. Darrah, 
Emily Decoursey, 
Andrew Long, 
Mrs. Harriet Long, 
Elizabeth Hart, 



Mrs. Mary Bothwell, 
Robert McKinstry, 
William Radcliff, 
William H. Stuckert, 
Mrs. Eliza Freeland, 
Mrs. Louisa Spencer, 
Mrs. Jane V. Craven, 
Elizabeth Stewart, 
Spencer Flack, 
William Flack, 
John McNair, 
Mrs. Martha C. Long, 
James Field, 
R. Henderson Darrah, 
Mrs. Margaret Wilson, 
Ann Moore, 
Rebecca Hare, 
Mary Carr. 



E. 



LIST OF SUBSCRIBERS TO THE PURCHASE OF THE 
PARSONAGE. 

September, 1873. 
Resolution to obtain a Parsonage adopted, June, 1873. 



Courtland Carr, 
John C. Beans, 
Jane V. Craven, 
D. K. Turner, 
Catharine Darrah, 



Eliza B. Yates, 
John B. Opdyke, 
Elizabeth Mattis, 
Ann Opdyke, 
Samuel Flack, 



320 



APPENDIX. 



John M. Darrah, 
Charles Eamsey, 
Jane Polk, 
James Field, 
Theodore Flack, 
Andrew Long, 
William Long, 
Elizabeth Hart, 
George Ramsey, 
Rebecca Turner, 
Henry McKinstry, 
James McKinstry, 
R. Henderson Darrah, 
John MclSTair, 
Stacy B. Beans, 
Wm. H. Stuckert, 
John J. Spencer, 
Mary Bothwell, 
Rachel Long, 
Cephas Ross, 
William C. Walton, 
George Taylor, 
George Brown, 
Hiram A. Carr, 
Miles S. Pownall, 
Elizabeth Dudbridge, 
Isaac V. Folwell, 
Mary Mattis, 
H. Clay Stuckert, 
Anna Hellings, 



Sarah Spencer, 
Eliza M. Carr, 
Samuel Cozzens, 
V/m. S. Rutherford, 
Hiram Cornell, 
Jesse McKinstry, 
John Bruehl, 
Charles Meredith, 
Frank P. McKinstry,. 
Howell E. McNair, 
Mary Service, 
Nancy Bready, 
P. Jenks Dudbridge,. 
Mary A. Campbell, 
Jacob Dubree, 
Thomas McNair, 
Jacob Titus, 
. Isaac Carr, 
William Flack, 
Samuel Taylor, 
Lewis Afflerbach, 
Anna Webster, 
Thomas Percy, 
Robert S. McNair,, 
Sarah M. Arnell, 
Andrew Gault, 
Jane Seigenfus, 
John Morgan, 
William Gault, 
David CornelL 



APPENDIX. 321 

S. 

LEGACIES TO NESHAMINY CHURCH. 

(So far as known.) 

1772. William Hair, .£8. 10s. or $22.61 

1794. Richard Walker, £53. or $141.33 

1798. Samuel Torrence, £40. or $106.66 

1813. Rev. Nathaniel Irwin, $2000.00 

1817. Elias Gilbert, $40.00 

1819. Henry Jamison, $500.00 

Used for roofing and repairing the Church. 

1843. Thomas Barnes, 30.00 

1864. Mrs. R. H. Turner, 300.00 

For the Cemetery Chapel. (Realized in 

1871, $524.00). 

1866. Ann Eliza Long, $100.00 

To the Cemetery Chapel. 

1872. Joseph Hart, .-... $200.00 

For tablet in Church. 



T. 



COPY OF THE PAY ROLL OF CAPTAIN HENRY DARRAH'S 
COMPANY, BUCKS COUNTY MILITIA, DETACHMENT IN 
THE SERVICE OF THE UNITED STATES, AND COM- 
MANDED BY LIEUT. COL. JOHN LACY, Esq. 

December 3, 1777. 
Names and rank, entered November 1, 1777. 

CAPTAIN. 

Henry Darrah. 

lieutenants. 
1. Joseph Greir, 2. Jonas Ingham. 



322 



APPENDIX. 



ENSIGN. 

William Bookom. 

sergeants. 
1. John Weir, 2. Andrew McCreary, 

William Coffing, Clerk. 

FIFER. 

Simon James. 

sergeants. 
Thomas Eitchie, John Wilson. 

corporals. 

1. David Herrin, 3. Eichard Wilgus, 

2. John Tate, 4. Daniel Hasty. 



1. John Mathers, 

2. Alexander Parker, 

3. John Parker, 

4. Joseph Eobinson, 

5. Moses Dunlap, 

6. William Hair, 

7. Jacob Pickard, 

8. John Shepherd, 

9. Stephen Doyle, 

10. Charles Dunlap, 

11. Alexander Long, 

12. Peter Jedun, 
18. Isaac James, 

14. Samuel Mason, 

15. Alexander Eamsey, 

16. Adam Boylin, 

17. John Grant, 

18. William Harvey, 

19. Benjamin Wood, 

20. John Cummins, 

21. John Neaphas, 



PRIVATES. 

22. Serick Eoberts, 

23. Francis Jedun, 

24. Abram Vandike, 

25. George Smith, 

26. Joseph Law, 

27. Thomas Gaun, 

28. William Doyle, 

29. Eobert Morrison, 

30. Samuel Jones, 

31. Hugh Wattson, 

32. Eobert Kennedy, 

33. Eobert Weir, 

34. Hugh Barkley, 

35. Thomas Hill, 

36. Henry Young, 

37. John Kern, 

38. Thomas Hamilton, 

39. John Eobinson, 

40. John Herrin, 

41. John James, 

42. Charles Morrow. 



APPENDIX. 



323 



u. 

CAPT. HENKY DAREAH'S COMPANY OF MILITIA, UNDER 
COMMAND OF COL. WM. ROBERTS, OF BUCKS CO., SEP. 

21, 1778. 

The Company first organized in 1777 was reorganized and filled 
up in 1778, as follows. 

CAPTAIN. 

Henry Darrah. 



Joseph Greer, 



David Davis, 
Benjamin Butler, 
Joseph Mathews, 
Amos Griffith, 
Joseph Thomas, 
Henry Rosenbury, 
Morgan James, 
Thomas James, 
Sam.uel Borgy, 
Mathew Law, 
Robert Ewer, 
Tobiah Shull, 
Alexander Forman, 
William James, 
William Morris, 
Andrew Ruth, 
Peter Kippard, 
George Shipe, 
John Harry, 
Abraham Coffin, 



lieutenants. 

William Hayns. 

ENSIGN. 

William Boorom. 

PRIVATES &c. 

Henry Ruth, 
John Sprogell, 
George Caingell, 
Owen Swartz, 
James Weir, 
John James (widower), 
Alexander More, 
Joseph Robeson, 
James Griffin, 
Joseph Law, 
Lewis Lunn, 
Conard Swartzlander, 
Simon James, 
Joseph Griffith, 
John Ruth (widower), 
Isaac James, 
John Davis, Esq., 
Peter Kippard, Jr., 
Christian Etherholt, 
Robert Morrison, 



324 



APPENDIX. 



Abiah Butler, 
John Miller, 
Jacob Sliver, 
John Lapp, 
Christian Kuth, 
Jeremiah Vastin, 
Jonathan Drake, 
John James, 
William Griffith, 
Samuel Harry, 
Abraham Kuth, 
Joseph Lun, 
John Weir, 
Stephen Bartain, 
Benjamin Griffith, 
Andrew McCreary, 
Philip Eckerman, 
Owen Thomas, 
Edward Williams, 
Robert Flack, 
Jacob Miller, 
Thomas Jones, 
William Thomas, 
Frederick Kippard, 
John Kisler, 
Mark Fraley, 
Charles Dunlap, 
Jeremiah Dungan, 
Samuel Mason, 
Samuel Griffith, 
Isaac Williams, 
David Caldwell, 
Jacob Craton, 



William Hare, 
John Thomson, 
John Edonard, 
Isaac Lapp, 
Benjamin Mathews, 
Thomas Mathews, 
George Smith, 
Andrew Stinson, 
John Tidisyler, 
Christian Khoar, 
Eleazer James, 
Zachariah Tiddro, 
Andrew Harry, 
Henry Ruth, 
Jacob Swartz, 
Ludwick Sticknard, 
John Gardner, 
William McVey, 
William Wright, 
Richard Lewis, 
Philip Millar, 
Christian Miller, 
Isaac Thomas, 
Christian Clymer, 
Christian Swartz, 
Benjamin Burn, 
Robert Thomson, 
Gavin Stevens, 
James Hackly, 
Robert Jones, 
David Thomas, 
John Mason, 
James Haslet. 



The originals of these Company Rolls are now in possession of 
R. H. Darrah of Hartsville, a great-grandson of the Captain. 



APPENDIX. 

V. 



325 



LIST OF PERSONS BURIED IN NESHAMINY GRAVE YARD, 
WARWICK, BUCKS CO., PA. 

1731-1876. 



NAME. 


TIME OF DEATH. 


AGE 




Jane Adams, 


October 22, 1746, 


55 y. 




James Archibald, 


May 25, 1748, 


34 y. 




Elizabeth Archibald, 


October 18, 1751, 


78 y. 




George Arnell, 


July 3, 1844, 


72 y. 




Sarah B. Arnell, 


July 23, 1846. 






Thomas Arnold, 


July 18, 1859, 


50 y. 




Anna M. Arnold, 


October 4, 1863, 


10 y. 


6 m. 8d. 


Spencer K. Atkinson, 


September 19, 1866, 


20 y. 


9 m. 


R. H. Arnell. 








George Arnell, 


September 23, 1861, 


79 y. 




William Ardeway, 


March 15, 1874, 


42 y. 




George Arnold, 


April 6, 1874. 






Audrey Bailey, 


March 5, 1843, 


27 y. 


2 m. 18 d. 


John Baird, 


February 21, 1748, 


73 y. 




John Baird, 


November 23, 1774, 


27 y. 




John Baird, 


February 4, 1791, 


77 y. 




Elizabeth Baird, 


November 7, 1808, 


93 y. 




Francis Baird, 


December 30, 1833, 


31 y. 




Francis Baird, 


June 27, 1835, 


77 y. 




Hugh Baird, 


September 1, 1841, 


49 y. 


3 m. 20 d. 


James Baird, 


August 19, 1842, 


46 y. 


6 m. 11 d. 


Jane H. Baird, 


August 20, 1849, 


16 y. 




Margaret Baird, 


July 6, 1851, 


90 y. 




Mary Barns, 


September 19, 1774, 


50 y. 




John Barns, 


May 9, 1777, 


61 y. 




Thomas Barns, 


October 7, 1814, 


24 y. 


9 m. 16 d. 


William Barns, 


December 28, 1816, 


61 y. 




John Barns, 


January 25, 1823, 


70 y. 




Thomas Barns, 


May 17, 1841, 


78 y. 


5 m. 5 d, 


William Barnes, 


May 5, 1873, 


55 y. 





326 



APPENDIX. 



NAME. 

Hannah Barnes, 
Angeline W. Baldwin, 
James Barclay, 
Jane Barclay, 
Washington C. Barclay, 
James Barclay, 
John Barclay, 
Esther Barclay, 
Charity Barr, 
Thomas Barr, 
Harman Y. Beans, 
Elizabeth Y. Beans, 
John C. Beans, 
Mary Bennett, 
Mary Birney, 
James T. Blair, 
Jean Blair, 
Lydia M. Blair, 
Mary L. Blair, 
Nancy Blair, 
William E. Blair, 
James R. Bothwell, 
William Bothwell, 
John Bothwell, 
Alexander Brady, 
Achsah Brady, 
John Bready, 
Robert Bready, 
Thomas Bready, 
Ann Bready, 
Elizabeth Bready, 
Robert Bready, 
James Bready, 
Elizabeth Bready, 
Elizabeth Brunner, 



TIME OF DEATH. 

January 9, 1874, 
May 16, 1862, 
February 14, 1792, 
October 23, 1803, 

June 9, 1806, 
September 15, 1824, 
December 1, 1864, 
November 19, 1800, 
September 12, 1831, 
June 12, 1864, 
May 24, 1875, 
April 25, 1874, 
January 3, 1832, 
July 10, 1770, 
January 27, 1825, 
April 1, 1825, 
October 4, 1838, 
September 19, 1846, 
February 29, 1856, 
February 5, 1859, 
September 20, 1858, 
October 18, 1869, 
December 23, 1873, 
July 27, 1862, 
October 30, 1866, 
December, 1735, 
February 20, 1779, 
February 9, 1818, 
February 21, 1789, 
September 14, 1814, 
February 26, 1823, 
July 31, 1826, 
March 22, 1830, 
June 15, 1862, 



AGE. 

85 y. 

26 y. 5 m. 21 d. 

70 y. 
48 y. 

2 y. 8 m. 
28 y. 
75 y. 

77 y. 
88 y. 
72 y. 

32 y. 6 m. 17 d. 

75 y. 

71 y. 

93 y. 1 d. 

70 y. 

1 y. 4 m. 
82 y. 
1 y. 4 m. 

56 y. 

71 y. 

72 y. 

36 y. 5 m. 
60 y. 10 m. 
84 y. 

70 y. 10 m. 27 d. 
74 y. 9 m. 21 d. 
64 y. 

78 y. 
63 y. 
70 y. 

57 y. 

76 y. 
70 y. 

1 y. 10 m. 22 d. 
69 y. 



APPENDIX. 



327 



NAME. 

Paul Brunner, 
John Bruehl, 
Christina Bruehl, 

Robert Caldwell, 
William E. Campbell, 
Edwin T. Campbell, 
Isaac Carnaghan, 
Grizelda Carnaghan, 
William Carr, 
Mary Carr, 
William Carr, 
Peter Carr, 
William Carr, 
James W. Carr, 
John Carr, 
Adam Carr, 
Frances Carr, 
Joseph Carr, 
Joseph Carr, 
Mary Carr, 
John H. Carr, 
Jane Carr, 
Elizabeth Carr, 
Joseph Carr, 
Franklin Carr, 
Ann Carr, 
J. Hart Carr, 
Daniel Carr, 
Mary Carr, 
John S. Carr, 
Joseph Carr, 
Jane H. Carr, 
William Carr, 
Rebecca Ann Carr, 
Elizabeth L. Carr, 
Sarah L. Carr, 



TIME OP DEATH. 

April 10, 1872, 
April 10, 1874, 
January 15, 1876, 

November 27, 1795, 
October 4, 1862, 
June 13, 1864, 
December 17, 1807, 
August 23, 1820, 
May 22, 1788, 
October 10, 1790, 
September 4, 1801. 
September 29, 1803, 
October 8, 1807, 
October 19, 1808, 
March 29, 1812, 
March 21, 1815, 
April 17, 1829, 
April 7, 1839, 
June 24, 1833, 
February 13, 1840, 
October 25, 1840, 
February 8, 1844, 
February 20, 1849, 
July 26, 1851, 
February 15, 1852, 
February 25, 1858, 
August 23, 1863, 
November 28, 1865, 
February 21, 1870, 
September 4, 1871, 
March 9, 1872, 
March 20, 1872, 
March 10, 1872, 
March 24, 1872, 
May 2, 1873, 
November 26, 1873, 



AGE. 

80 y. 
68 y. 
63 y. 

70 y. 

3 y. 8 m. 20 d. 
33 y. 1 m. 5 d. 
23 y. 

84 y. 
60 y. 
55 y. 

46 y. 
44 y. 
23 y. 

66 y. 

49 y. 10 m. 11 d. 
58 y. 4 m. 19 d. 
60 y. 

60 y. 2 m. 
77 y. 
28 y. 
89 y. 
73 y. 

50 y. 6 m. 25 d. 
23 y. 5 m. 23 d. 

57 y. 7 m. 25 d. 
21 y. 

67 y. 1 m. 9 d. 
67 y. 6 m. 

25 y. 
76 y. 

70 y. 
83 y. 

58 y. 

71 y. 

Im. 7d. 



828 



APPENDIX. 



NAME. 

William G. Carr, 
Elizabeth Carr. 
Joshua Y. J. Carr. 
Rachel Carrell, 
Cornelius Carrell, 
Joice Carrell, 
Mary Ann Carver, 
Eli Carver, 
Clemens Carver, 
Joseph Carver, 
Hannah Carver, 
William Clift, 
Amos Coar, 
Mary Connard, 
Euphemia Connard, 
Abraham Connard, 
Charles Connard, 
Hannah Connard, 
John T. Connard, 
Mary E. Connard, 
Henrietta D. Connard, 
George J. Connard, 
Daniel Connard, 
Henry B. Cornell, 
John P. Cozzens, 
Thomas Craig, 

(child) Craig. 

(child) Craig. 
Jane Craig, 
Jane Craig, 
John M. Craven, 
Margaret Craven, 
Hannah Crawford, 
Hannah Crawford, 
John Crawford, 



TIME OF DEATH. AGE. 



June 27, 1832, 61 y. 

March 27, 1850, 82 y. 

July 15, 1856, 81 y. 

March 23, 1837, 26 y. 6 m. 

March 28, 1837, 63 y. 1 m. 10 d. 

January 28, 1849, 20 y. 2 m. 21 d. 

February 5, 1851, 70 y. 6 m. 5 d. 

January 11, 1858, 72 y. 9 m. 

September 3, 1843, 9 y. 10 m. 23 d. 

June 13, 1840, 32 y. 1 m. 5 d. 

March 7, 1838, 32 y. 

June 9, 1838, 36 y. 

May 15, 1845, 47 y. 

October 6, 1867, 37 y. 

August 19, 1857, 87 y. 

June 13, 1861, 1 y. 11 m. 18 d. 

June 25, 1861, 3 y. 6 m. 2d. 

March 24, 1864, 3 y. 2 m. 

January 31, 1869, 6 m. 21 d. 

January 16, 1870, 30 y. 11 m. 

June 21, 1870, 3 m. 11 d. 

August 29, 1865, 20 y. 

August 30, 1746, 31 y. 



April 17, 1811, 72 y. 

November 16, 1835, 66 y. 

August 27, 1837, 43 y. 

January 19, 1855, 85 y. 

December 25, 1784, 30 y. 

March 25, 1803, 18 y. 

September 6, 1806, 88 y. 





APPENDIX. 


iij^y 


NAME. 


TIME OF DEATH. 


AGR. 


Jane Crawford, 


1820, 


96 y. 


William Crawford, 


1815, 


63 y. 


John Crawford, 


November 3, 1844, 


62 y. 


Jane Cummings, 


July 14, 1775, 


77 y. 


John Cummings, 


October 4, 1781, 


80 y. 


James Cummings, 


December 28, 1801, 


83 y. 


John Cummings, 


October 18, 1811, 


8y. 


Jane Cummings, 


November 8, 1812, 


73 y. 


James M. Cummings, 


February 15, 1846, 


13 y. 


Robert Cummings, 


March 16, 1850, 


80 y. 


Jane Cummings, 


May 16, 1852, 


87 y. 


Levina B. Cummings, 


March 26, 1864, 


63 y. 


Anthony Cline, 


July 29, 1860, 


14 y. 


William Henderson Carr, 


March 8, 1876, 


50 y. 


Cornell, 


June 23, 1875, 


1 y. 3 m. 


Jane Carr, 


January 4, 1876, 


96 y. 6 m. 


Rachel Darrah, 


November 18, 1802. 


41 y. 


James Darrah, 


January 31, 1821, 


5 m. 19 d. 


Robert P. Darrah, 


March 2, 1829, 


2 y. 15 d. 


Sarah Darrah, 


March 21, 1838, 


80 y. 


William Darrah, 


July 11, 1838, 


71 y. 


James Darrah, 


February 17, 1842, 


78 y. 


Henry Darrah, 


August 10, 1849, 


58 y. 


Mary Ann Darrah, 


March 15, 1857, 


29 y. 


Robert Darrah, 


August 5, 1860, 


70 y. 


Mary Davidson, 


November 10, 1840, 


32 y. 10 m. 


William Davidson, 


August 3, 1868, 


69 y. 8 m. 


John Davies, 


August 6, 1748, 


63 y. 


Isabel Davies, 


August 30, 1757, 


78 y. 


J. DeCoursey, 


1803. 




William DeCoursey, 


February 28, 1835, 


70 y. 


Mary DeCoursey, 


March 18, 1843, 


55 y. 


Wilson DeCoursey, 


April 1, 1855, 


30 y. 


Euphemia Doan, 


June 20, 1868, 


35 y. 



biiU 


APPENDIX. 






NAME. 


TIME OF DEATH. 


AGE. 




David Dougherty, 


July 27, 1856, 


80 y. 




Paul Dowlin, 


September 16, 1801, 


85 y. 




Elizabeth Dowlin, 


June 27, 1803, 


37 y. 




David Dowlin, 


October 16, 1822, 


67 y. 




Alice Dunlap, 


February 11, 1803, 


70 y. 11 m. 




Mary Dunlap, 


April 16, 1816, 


71 y. 




James Dunn, 


April 4, 1825, 


89 y. 




Sarah Dunn, 


December 5, 1831, 


80 y. 




Mary Dunn, 


June 7, 1857, 


2 y. 8 m. 


19 d. 


Robert Dunn, 


July 17, 1864, 


83 y. 




Sarah K. Dunnet, 


August 26, 1855, 


24 y. 1 m, 


, 6 d. 


John Earls, 


December 31, 1772, 


79 y. 




Hugh Edams, 


February 18, 1803, 


72 y. 




Gayen Edams, 


January 24, 1838, 


54 y. 




James Edams, 


June 13, 1850, 


82 y. 




Elizabeth Edams, 


May 24, 1859, 


91 y. 




Clara Eddowes, 


June 16, 1873, 


4y. 




Benjamin Edwards, 


March 14, 1864, 


1 y. 4 m. 




Eli Edwards, 


March 10, 1866, 


11m. 




William Erwin, 


September 23, 1772, 


55 y. 




Margaret Erwin, 


March 11, 1790, 


60 y. 




Mary S. Evans, 


August 9, 1819, 


23 y. 




David Evans, 


August 22, 1823, 


30 y. 




Mary L. Evans, 


July 17, 1829, 


26 y. 




William Evans, 


August 17, 1829, 


Im. 


7d. 


Elizabeth Evans, 


May 24, 1840, 


16 y. 




Joel Evans, 


September 5, 1840, 


9 m. 




Lavinia Evans, 


October 30, 1848, 


41 y. 




Adaline Evans, 


February 18, 1852, 


20 y. 




Andrew Ewer, 


August 16, 1848, 


70 y. 6 m. 


12 d. 


Ann Ewer, 


July 23, 1854, 


71 y. 9 m. 




Jonathan Ewer, 


July 14, 1866, 


78 y. 




Mary A. Faunce, 


May 26, 1837, 


1 y. 6 m. 


16 d. 



APPENDIX. 



331 



NAME. 

Andrew E. Fenton, 
Henry S. Field, 
John T. Field. 
Elizabeth Finley, 
John Flack, 
James Flack, 
Robert Flack, 
Euphemia Flack, 
Joseph Flack, 
EUza Flack, 
Ann Flack, 
Thomas W. Flack, 
Wilham Flack, 
James W. Flack, 
William Flack, 
Sarah D. Flack, 
Joseph Flack, 
Abigail Flack, 
David Flack, 
Robert L. Flack, 
Mary L. Flack, 
Walter Flack, 
Hattie P. Folwell, 
Sarah G. Frederick, 
Mahlon L. Forker, 
Rachel G. Flack, 

Flack, 
Charles Flack, 

W. M. Griffith, 

William J. Gavilt, 

Rev. Alexander Gellattly, 

Ann Gellattly, 

Else Gilbert, 

Esther Gilbert, 

Elias Gilbert, 



TIME OF DEATH. 

January 11, 1863, 
January 10, 1870, 
October 10, 1870, 
December 6, 1843, 
March 18, 1802, 
September 2, 1809, 
December 4, 1814, 
November 22, 1824, 
March 19, 1825, 
December 25, 1826. 
March 2, 1831, 
June 16, 1836, 
July 18, 1842, 
April 8, 1844, 
April 12, 1850, 
February 15, 1858, 
May 16, 1858, 
July 25, 1859, 
January 28, 1865, 
. March 22, 1867, 
March 27, 1869, 
June 30, 1872, 
August 11, 1866, 
February 25, 1848, 
September 27, 1858, 
August 23, 1874, 
August 21, 1874, 
September 30, 1875, 

March 12, 1872. 
July 30, 1865, 
March 12, 1761, 
October 4, 1770, 
August 27, 1775, 
March 29, 1804, 
April 28, 1806, 



AGE. 

6 y. 4 m. 8 d. 
12 y. 8 m. 14 d. 
23 y. 2 m. 19 d. 
67 y. 8 m. 19 d. 
49 y. 6 m. 24 d. 
94 y. 
70 y. 11 m. 

64 y. 
87 y. 

87- y. 

59 y. 

34 y. 5 m. 

41 y. 5 m. 

60 y. 7 m. 28 d. 
82 y. 

65 y. 

66 y. 
91 y. 

3 y. 10 m. 22 d. 
76 y. 

2 y. 6 m. 

3y. 

12 y. 

3 y. 6 m. 

35 y. 

1 m. 
55 y. 

3y. 

42 y. 
16 y. 

11 y. 

80 y. 
55 y. 



^6'A 


APPENDIX. 




NAME. 


TIME OF DEATH. 


AGE. 


Esther Gilkyson, 


September 12, 1792, 


8y. 


Caroline Gravell, 


October 2, 1822, 


15 y. 


Margaret Gravell, 


December 1, 1836, 


64 y. 


John Gray, 


April 27, 1749, 


57 y. 


Matthew Greir, 


September, 1776, 


5y. 


Matthew Greir, 


September 1, 1797, 


14 y. 


Mary Greir, 


September 18, 1797, 


28 y. 


Jane Greir, 


August 11, 1812, 


1 y. 11 m. 16 d. 


Mary Greir, 


February 22, 1843, 


36 y. 


John S. Greir, 


May 14, 1870, 


88 y. 


Jane Greir, 


December 20, 1831, 


83 y. 


Ann Greir, 


December 25, 1873, 


51 y. 


John Greir, 


June 11, 1814, 


70 y. 


Andrew L. Greir, 


September 26, 1821, 


6y. 7d. 


Thomas Griffith, 


September 24, 1828, 


66 y. 


E. M. Griffith, 


February 16, 1875, 


2y. 


S. E. Griffith. 


August 11, 1875. 




S. Hamilton. 






Henry C. Hamilton, 


March 10, 1868, 


57 y. 


Edwin H. Hanscombe, 


October 18, 1845, 


ly. Im. 17 d. 


Elizabeth Hare, 


December 21, 1803, 


72 y. 


Benjamin Hare, 


March 31, 1804, 


80 y. 


Rebecca Hare, 


May 27, 1810, 


58 y. 


Matthew Hare, 


June 25, 1824, 


60 y. 


William Hare, 


June 25, 1826, 


68 y. 


Abigail Hare, 


October 17, 1846, 


80 y. 


Silas M. Hare, 


December 23, 1846, 


37 y. 


Elizabeth Hare, 


August 22, 1851, 


82 y. 


Col. Joseph Hart, 


August 31, 1797, 


:53y. 


Louisa M. Hart, 


July 19, 1802, 


5 m. 16 d. 


Mary Hart, 


September 28, 1802. 




Solomon Hart, 


April 27, 1810, 


48 y. 


Dr. William Hart, 


August 13, 1810, 


42 y. 


Irwin Hart, 


January 23, 1816, 


1 m. 12 d. 


John Hart, 


June 27, 1811, 


30 y. 6 m. 10 d. 


Mary Hart, 


July 15, 1811, 


22 y. 



APPENDIX. 



S33 



NAME. 

Isabella Hart, 
Mary Hart, 
Zallida Hart, 
Walter Hart, 
Col. William Hart, 
Solomon Hart, 
Elizabeth Hart, 
William Hart, 
Elizabeth Hart, 
James M. Hart, 
Joseph E. Hart, 
Adam Hart, 
Mary F. Hart, 
James Hart, 
Josiah Hart, 
Mary W. Hart, 
Martha Hart, 
William Hart, 
Franklin Hart, 
Mary E. Hart, 
William Hart, 
Eliza Hart, 
Martha Hart, 
Ella J. Hart, 
Dr. Byron Hart, 
Jane Hart, 
Mary Hart, 
Grizelda Hart, 
Joseph Hart, 
John Harvey, 
John Harvey, 
Rebecca Harvey, 
Martha Harvey, 
John Harvey, 
Margaret Hawley, 



TIME OF DEATH. 


AGE. 




December 1, 1819, 


65 y. 






February 8, 1828, 


45 y. 








21 y. 


3 m. 


20 d. 






10 m. 


,23 d. 


January 2, 1831, 


84 y. 






November 3, 1832, 


37 y. 






January 26, 1834, 


86 y. 






January 11, 1838, 


18 y. 


10 m. 


28 d. 


January 10, 1841, 


88 y. 






Jar.uary 7, 1844, 


59 y. 






August 15, 1844, 


31 y. 






November 2, 1847, 


23 y. 






March 28, 1849, 


15 y. 







May 20, 1850, 
October 3, 1851, 
March 26, 1854, 
February 23, 1855, 
November 8, 1855, 
April 22, 1859, 
December 14, 1862, 
December 21, 1862, 

June 4, 1863, 
October 7, 1864, 
September 26, 1866, 
November 10, 1866, 
April 5, 1868, 
November 4, 1872, 
March 26, 1820, 
January 31, 1821, 
July 2, 1827, 
July 24, 1842, 
November 4, 1848, 
March 4, 1854, 



6y. 

79 y. 7 m. 5 d. 
24 y. 8 m. 7 d. 
61 y. 
66 y. 
33 y. 

4 m. 
74 y. 
68 y. 

1 y. 11 m. 
22 y. 
38 y. 
78 y. 

65 y. 

81 y. 

82 y. 
20 y. 
87 y. 

66 y. 
82 y. 
86 y. 

68 y. 4 m. 



334 


APPENDIX. 








NAME. 


TIME OF DEATH. 


AGE. 




Eobert Henderson, 


April 15, 1775, 


50 y. 






Margaret Henderson, 


February 23, 1793, 


76 y. 






Samuel Henderson, 


February 5, 1822, 


69 y. 






Elizabeth Henderson, 


March 6, 1843, 


84 y. 


8 m. 


29 d. 


Sarah Heydrick, 


November 3, 1858, 


64 y. 


11m. 


13 d. 


Ann Hines, 


December 1, 1790, 


80 y. 






Matthew Hines, 


December 23, 1804, 


86 y. 






•Elizabeth Hines, 


May 22, 1805, 


60 y. 






Rebecca Holland, 


November 5, 1827, 


24 y. 






William Horner, 


October 3, 1798, 


2y. 


9 m. 


13 d. 


John Horner, 


September 15, 1806, 


58 y. 


11m. 


7d. 


Andrew Horner, 


June 18, 1812, 




4 m. 


Id. 


Mary Horner, 


December 24, 1820, 


59 y. 


7 m. 




Mary Horner, 


August 17, 1822, 


4y. 


10 m. 


25 d. 


Hannah Horner, 


January 25, 1829, 


24 y. 


7 m. 




Hannah Hough, 


April 3, 1848, 


78 y. 






Benjamin Hough, 


May 16, 1848, 


79 y. 






John Hunter, 


May 6, 1835, 


74 y. 






Jane Huston,, 


September 12, 1781, 


82 y. 






Margaret Huston, 


March 2, 1841, 


84 y. 


8m. 


2d. 


Mary E. Hare, 


February 20, 1874, 


52 y. 






William Item, 


December 31, 1860, 


45 y. 






Jacob Item, 


March 3, 1861, 


81 y. 






Lizzie B. Item, 


September 30, 1863, 


5y. 


11m. 


9d. 


Henry Irwin, 


February 7, 1812, 


32 y. 






Eev. Nathaniel Irwin, 


March 3, 1812, 


65 y. 


4 m. 


15 d, 


Priscilla Irwin, 


August 3, 1822, 


62 y. 






Jean Jamison, 


October 23, 1764, 


62 y. 






Henry Jamison, 


June 29, 1767, 


38 y. 






Eobert Jamison, 


July 13, 1771, 


73 y. 






John Jamison, 


March 27, 1796, 


60 y. 






Hannah Jamison, 


June 15, 1797, 


15 y. 


10 m. 




Sarah Jamison, 


August 10, 1811, 


58 y. 






Eobert Jamison, 


September 15, 1811, 


72 y. 







APPENDIX. 



335 



KAME. 

Martha C. Jamison, 
Henry Jamison, 
Henry Jamison, 
Robert Jamison, 
John Jamison, 
Louisa Jamison, 
Josephine H. Jamison, 
Nancy Jamison, 
Robert Jamison, 
William C. Jamison, 
Mary C. Jamison, 
George 0. Jamison, 
James K. Jamison, 
John Jamison, 
Jane Flack Jamison. 
Mary J. Jamison, 
Martha Jamison. 
Emma Jamison, 
Evan Jones, 

Jones, ^ 

Jones, j 

Jones, j- children. 

Jones, 

Jones, 
John S. Jamison, 

Rachel Kean, 
James M. Kee, 

Agnes Kelso, 
Adam Kerr, 
Margaret Kerr, 
Jane Kerr, 
Jane Kerr, 
William Kerr, 
Adam Kerr, 
John Kerr, 



TIME OF DEATH. 

June 22, 1815, 
Xovember 28, 1816, 
October 20, 1820, 
:November 12, 1827, 
September 20, 1837, 
September 30, 1839, 
September 16, 1840, 
May 5, 1843, 
December 8, 1843, 
Xovember 20, 1845, 
March 17, 1852, 
April 17. 1853, 
January 16, 1858, 
May 11, 1858, 
October 5, 1858, 
February 25, 1861, 
October 9, 1863, 
Februaiy 28, 1869, 
July 14, 1762, 



February 22, 1875. 

July 19, 1825, 
November 29, 1769, 
June 19, 1821, 
August 16, 1791, 
February 3, 1795, 
July 15, 1797, 
June 30, 1808, 
February 10, 1810, 
December 2, 1814, 
July 9, 1817, 



AGE. 

34 y. 

35 y. 

45 y. 2 m. 29 d. 
79 y. 

60 y. 3 m. 
2y. Ira. 16 d. 

11m. 
•53 y. 1 m. 5 d. 

71 y. 

35 y. 
10 y. 

4 m. 10 d. 
43 y. 
S3 y. 
76 y. 
3 y. 
7Sy. 
31 y. 
58 y. 



10 d. 



19 y. 
27 y. 
84 y. 
61 y. 

41 y. 
52 y. 
37 y. 
Sly. 

42 y. 
78 y. 



336 



APPENDIX. 



NAME. 

Esther Kerr, 
Mary E. Kerr, 
Kimble, 
Kimble, 
Kosanna Kirk, 
Agnes Kirk, 
James Kirk, 
Margaret Kirk, 
William Knight, 
Elizabeth Knight, 
Hannah Knowles, 
Jane Knowles, 
Thomas B. Knowles 
Elizabeth Krier, 
Susan Kline, 

Joseph Lear, 
Henrietta Lee, 
Ann Leedom, 
James Leedom, 
David Livezey, 
David Livezey, 
Mary Livezey, 
Margaret Livezey, 
Andrew Long, 
William Long, 
Andrew Long, 
Elizabeth Long, 
Mary Long, 
Mary Long, 
Sanford Long, 
William Long, 
Andrew Long, 
Edwin Long, 
Margaretta Long, 



twins, 



TIME OF DEATH. 

July 25, 1858, 
February 26, 1869, 

1853. 

1853. 
July 10, 1793, 
January 30, 1815, 
January 16, 1841, 
March 19, 1850, 
December 31, 1835, 
September 20, 1836, 
June 15, 1840, 
June 3, 1858, 
December 28, 1864, 
February 8, 1872, 
December 28, 1875, 

April 27, 1870, 
August 11, 1848, 
October 27, 1833, 
April 4, 1835, 
February, 1838. 
January 14, 1846, 
August 13, 1840, 
June 18, 1858, 
November 16, 1738, 
November 1, 1793, 
November 4, 1812, 
February 3, 1814, 
March 19, 1817, 
January 17, 1821, 
July 12, 1822, 
September 13, 1822, 
March 19, 1824, 
September 17, 1833, 
November 3, 1835, 



8d. 



AGE. 

88 y. 
16 y. 



2y. 3 m. 
65 y. 
92 y. 
61 y. 
88 y. 
82 y. 
44 y.' 
85 y. 6 m. 
20 y. 10 m. 
24 y. 
26 y. 



67 y. 
2 y. 5 m. 13 d. 
40 y. 
16 y. 5 m. Id. 

49 y. 6 m. 
5 y. 3 m. 
83 y. 
47 y. 
66 y. 
82 y. 
86 y. 
49 y. 
95 y. 

7 m. 
59 y. 10 m. 27 d. 
63 y. 4 m. 23 d, 

ly- 

56 y. 





APPENDIX. 




NAME. 


TIME OF DEATH. 


AGE. 


Samuel Long, 


December 5, 1835, 


30 y. 


Mary E. Long. 




2y. 


Sarah Long, 


August 8, 1837, 


25 y. 


Mary Long, 


May 28, 1838, 


71 y. 


Isabella Long, 


March 2, 1841, 


78 y. 


Agnes Long, 


September 27, 1842, 


79 y. 


William L. Long, 


April 28, 1844, 


3y. 


Mary F. Long, 


April 29, 1844, 


5y. 


John Long, 


January 11, 1845, 


75 y. 


Hugh Long, 


May 31, 1845, 


72 y. 


Andrew Long, 


January 6, 1848, 


Sly. 


William Long, 


March 13, 1849, 


82 y. 


Lewis Long, 


July 6, 1850, 


50 y. 


William Long, 


February 5, 1851, 


88 y. 


Sarah Long, 


October 3, 1853, 


85 y. 


Eliza Long, 


July 19, 1851, 


68 y. 


Mary Long, 


February 8, 1854, 


76 y. 


Hugh Long, 


March 31, 1875, 


5 m, 


William Long, 


March 10, 1876, 


81 y. 


Margaret Long, 


April 26, 1855, 


23 y. 3 m, 


Prof. Charles Long, A. M., July 15, 1856, 


38 y. 


Margaret Long, 


June 22, 1860, 


70 y. 


Ann Elizabeth Long, 


October 2, 1866, 


52 y. 


Hugh Long, 


October 20, 1868, 


63 y. 


Anna M. Long, 


November 19, 1868, 


94 y. 


Elizabeth Long, 


May 1, 1807, 


4y. 


John M. Long, 


August 24, 1814, 


7y. 


John Long, 


June 26, 1803, 


3y. 


Andrew Long. 






Harriet F. Long, 


September 27, 1870, 


4y. 


Wilhelmina D. Long, 


March 13, 1871, 


28 y. 


Stephen Love, 


May 28, 1822, 


78 y. 


Sarah Love, 


March 6, 1827, 


82 y. 


Francis G. Lukens, 


March 3, 1842, 


59 y. 


Jane Lukens, 


January 9, 1853, 


63 y. 


James Lovett, 


May 15, 1859, 


69 y. 



337 



14 d. 



388 



APPENDIX. 



NAME. 
John Mann, 
Mary Mann, 
James S. Mann, 
Samuel Mann, Esq., 
Margaret Mann, 
Hannah H. Mann, 
Eliza B. Mann, 
Isaac Mann, 
John Marshall, 
Hannah Matthews, 
Elizabeth McCarter, 
Mary Ann McCarter, 
Elizabeth McCarter, 
Sarah L. McCarter, 
Mary L. McCarter, 
Susan McCarter, 
John McCarter, 
€ornelius McCartney, 
Elizabeth McClellan, 
Lillie McDowell, 
Mary C. McDowell, 
John McEwen, 
Mary Ann McEwen, 
James McEwen, 
Frances W. McDowell, 
John McFarren, 
Isabel McGrady, 
Gaun McGrady, 
Robert McGrady, 
Jane McGrady, 
Thomas McGraudy, 
John McGraudy, 
Gaun McGraudy, 
Samuel McGraudy, 
John McGraudy, 



TIME OF DEATH. 

November 16, 1799, 
January 24, 1803, 
April 14, 1805, 
February 22, 1826, 
October 20, 1830, 
May 6, 1837, 
September 19, 1842, 
July 2, 1851, 
April 10, 1813, 
February 23, 1858, 
May, 1848, 

May 7, 1850, 
January 31, 1854, 
August 6, 1861, 
September 6, 1862, 
October 3, 1863, 
May 25, 1871, 
November 29, 1731, 
June 28, 1795, 
June 12, 1871, 
July 21, 1854, 
November 23, 1804, 
July 27, 1806, 
April 24, 1825, 
February 20, 1876, 
August 26, 1789, 
June 2, 1811, 
April 20, 1812, 
November 25, 1815, 
April 16, 1817, 
June 15, 1818, 
July 26, 1820, 
April 18, 1832, 
September 19, 1860. 
March 10, 1864, 



14 d. 
3d. 
3d. 



7d. 
25 d. 



5d. 



AGE. 

2 m. 
31 y. 4 m. 

2 y. 6 m. 

71 y. 
73 y. 
44 y. 

25 y. 
73 y. 

34 y. 7 m. 
18 y. 

7 m. 

26 y. 
31 y. 

4 m. 
29 y. 10 m. 

75 y. 
88 y. 
40 y. 

33 y. 5 m. 19 d. 

9 ra. 7 d. 

7 m. 21 d. 
21 y. 5 m. 17 d. 
58 y. 
81 y. 

ly. 

84 y. 
61 y. 

76 y. 
43 y. 
56 y. 
40 y. 
80 y. 

20 y. 1 m. 
54 y. 
50 y. 



18 d. 



•> 
NAME. 


TIME OF DEATH. 


AGE. 


fj^*j 


Phoebe McGraudy, 


September 22, 1867, 


89 y. 






Mary L. McGraudy, 


March 28, 1871, 


63 y. 






Rev. Francis McHenry, 


January 23, 1757, 


47 y. 






Nathan McKinstry, 


April 15, 1790, 


78 y. 






Samuel McKinstry, 


January 24, 1796, 


48 y. 






Henry McKinstry, 


November 28, 1804, 


54 y. 






Christianna McKinstry, 


April 19, 1809, 


26 y. 






Ann McKinstry, 


January 29, 1815, 


64 y. 






Tliomas M. McKinstry, 


September 30, 1815, 


27 y. 






Mary McKinstry, 


April 4, 1818, 


64 y. 






Robert McKinstry, 


July 25, 1834, 


78 y. 






Mary A. McKinstry, 


April 6, 1839, 


24 y. 


4 m. 


3d. 


Mary McKinstry, 


April 6, 1846, 


89 y. 






Margaret McKinstry, 


February 1, 1851, 


58 y. 


2 m. 


2d, 


Nathan McKinstry, 


December 23, 1862, 


71 y. 


11 m. 


3d. 


Mary L. McKinstry, 


July 28, 1863, 


63 y. 






John McKinstry, 


September 24, 1863, 


76 y. 


10 m. 


24 d. 


Jane McKinstry, 


April 24, 1869, 


84 y. 






Robert McKinstry, 


September 5, 1871, 


78 y. 






E. G. McKinstry, 


June 17, 1870. 








Alexander McLain, 


September 7, 1824, 


40 y. 






Archibald McLean, 


February 22, 1871, 


74 y. 






Elizabeth McNair, 


March 1, 1832, 


22 y. 






Cornelia McNair, 


December 4, 1843, 


64 y. 






Samuel McNair, 


March 3, 1848, 


75 y. 






Martha McNair, 


January 28, 1842, 




2 m. 


12 d. 


Emily McNair, 


April 6, 1854, 


ly. 


10 m. 


4d, 


Mary E. McNair, 


July 28, 1844, 


ly. 


Im. 


22 d, 


Robert Mearns, 


March, 1730. 








Abraham Mearns, 


August 29, 1775, 


17 y. 






Hugh Mearns, 


Septeniber 22, 1796, 


73 y. 






Robert Mearns, 


May 11, 1800, 


70 y. 






Sally Mearns, 


October 1, 1801, 


2y. 


5 m. 


lid. 


Mary Mearns, 


October 17, 1801, 


74 y. 






Rachel Mearns, 


December 16, 1804, 


77 y. 







340 

NAME. 

Robert Mearns, 
William Mearns, 
Frances Mearns, 
Mary N. Medara. 
Isabella Meredith, 
Charles P. Michener, M. 
Isabel Miller, 
William Miller, 
Mary Miller, 
Margaret Miller, 
Lydia K. Moody, 
Stephen Murray, 
Jemima Murray, 
Catharine A. Meredith, 
Ella S. McKinstry, 

Jacob L. Niblick, 
James Niblick, 
Joseph D. Nichols, 

Rev. James Oliver, 

Sarah Park, 
William Park, 
Lydia Park, 
William Parker, 
Mary Parker, 
John Parker, 
John Parker, 
Quintin Parker, 
John Patterson, 
C. L. Patterson. 
Hugh M. Patterson, 
William Patterson, 
Samuel Polk, 
Samuel Polk, 
Robert Polk, 



APPENDIX. 






TIME OF DEATH. 


AGE. 




April 26, 1827, 


71 y. 




June 14, 1836, 


76 y. 




August 13, 1848, 


73 y. 




September 8, 1832, 


21 y. 




D., September 21, 1839, 


33 y. 3 m. 


13 d, 


December 26, 1757, 


87 y. 




February 27, 1758, 


87 y. 




December 17, 1803, 


75 y. 




February 16, 1823, 


68 y. 




February 26, 1853, 


63 y. 




December 2, 1819, 


70 y. 




May 13, 1844, 


87 y. 




January 12, 1876, 


31 y. 




June 10, 1870,' 


23 y. 




July 12, 1846, 


4 m. 


4d. 


April 18, 1867, 


53 y. 




June 13, 1873, 


52 y. 




November 6, 1811, 


70 y. 




January 20, 1826, 


64 y. 


27 d, 


August 29, 1834, 


74 y. 




July 26, 1868, 


73 y. 6 m. 




October 26, 1797, 


12 y. 




June 17, 1817, 


55 y. 4 m. 




October 9, 1827, 


72 y. 




February 5, 1829, 


35 y. 




February 18, 1837, 


14 y. 


3d. 


August 4, 1830, 


30 y. 




October 12, 1844, 


,4y. 




February 4, 1869, 


67 y. 




September 27, 1806, 


53 y. 




August 8, ,1822, 


23 y. 




September 28, 1826, 


40 y. 







APPENDIX. 






54i 


NAME. 


TIME OP DEATH. 


AGE. 




James Polk, 


July 16, 1846, 


96 y. 






Eleanor Polk, 


November 19, 1850, 


92 y. 






John Polk, 


June 27, 1864, 


73 y. 


7 m. 


18 d. 


John Polk, 


June 23, 1871, 


73 y. 






Margaret Polk, 


October 2, 1831, 


74 y. 






John Pouge, 


May 30, 1775, 


27 y. 






James Pouge, 


May, 1779, 


70 y. 






Elizabeth Powers, 


February 17, 1837, 


68 y. 






Charles Pownall, 


December 17, 1851, 


ly- 


10 m. 




Elizabeth Pownall, 


May 5, 1857, 


4y. 


2 m. 




William E. Pownall, 


August 4, 1857, 


5y. 


10 m. 


14 d. 


George Pownall, 


November 25, 1862, 


3y. 


11m. 




William Prior, 


August 10, 1800, 


7y. 






Asahel Prior, 


August 30, 1830, 


20 y. 






Elizabeth Prior, 


April 3, 1845, 


75 y. 






Jarnes Prior, 


February 3, 1852, 


45 y. 






Gideon Prior, 


February 1, 1854, 


89 y. 






Charles Prior, 


December 13, 1869, 


74 y. 






Henry Puff, 


April 22, 1865, 


65 y. 






John Prior, 


August 11, 1800, 


2y. 






Joseph F. RadcUff, 


March 13, 1842, 


3y. 


7 m. 




Margaret Radcliff, 


October 24, 1843, 


39 y. 






Anna Mary Radcliff, 


January 7, 1849, 


3y. 


8 m. 


13 d. 


Levi K. Radcliff, 


December 31, 1857, 


ly- 


10 m. 


7d. 


Annie K. Radcliff, 


January 9, 1863, 


2y. 


3 m. 


15 d. 


James Radcliff, 


November 10, 1871, 


75 y. 






-"Mrs. Jane Ramsey, 


February 16, 1761, 


58 y. 






Jane Ramsej'', 


September 4, 1777, 


3y. 


9 m. 




William Ramsey, 


October 19, 1787, 


89 y. 






Jeannette Ramsey, 


February 15, 1788, 


55 y. 






Mary Ramsey, 


March 16, 1791, 


2y. 


2 m. 


18 d. 


Catharine Ramsey, 


March 31, 1791, 


45 y. 






William Ramsey, 


February 14, 1814, 


79 y. 






Mary Ramsey, 


May 15, 1817, 




6m 


. 18d. 



342 



APPENDIX. 



NAME. 

Catharine Ramsey, 
John Ramsey, 
Eleanor Ramsey, 
Ann Ramsey, 
Jane Ramsey, 
William Ramsej', 
William Ramsey, 
Esther Ramsey, 
Eleanor Ramsey, 
Elizabeth Ramsey, 
Ann Ramsey, 
Jane Ramsey, 
John Ramsey, 
Robert Ramsey, 
Mary Ramsey, 
William Ramsey, M. D., 
John Rankin, 
Michael Rapp, 
William Ramsey, 
John Ramsey, 
George H. Rapp, 
Susanna Rapp, 
Margaret Rapp, 
Margaret Rapp, 
Joseph C. Rapp, 
Mary Revell, 
Rebecca W. Rhoads, 
Ann Rittenhouse, 
Joseph Richards, 
Benjamin Richards, 
John Roberts, 
Jonathan Roberts, 
Frances Roberts, 
Joseph Robinson, 
Elizabeth Robinson, 



TIME OF DEATH. AGE. 

November 15, 1824, 36 y. 

1813, 82 y. 

1802. 

February 17, 1830, 80 y. 

August 15, 1838, 51 y. 

October 4, 1838, 62 y. 

October 13, 1838, 15 y. 

February 4, 1839, 62 y. 

April 14, 1842, 33 y. 

October 6, 1842, 66 y. 

August 24, 1843, 26 y. 

November 16, 1846, 32 y. 

November 28, 1849, 80 y. 

December 12, 1849, 69 y. 

October 9, 1851, 82 y. 

December 23, 1855, 23 y. 

July 13, 1818, 64 y. 

January 14, 1831, 51 y. 

November 17, 1806, 39 y. 
July 16, 1803, 3 y. 

May 21, 1841, 33 y. 

February 14, 1842, 80 y. 

March 20, 1850, 65 y. 
June 21, 1850, 2 y. 

July 19, 1873, 32 y. 

February 26, 1847, 94 y. 

August 16, 1855, 20 y. 

June 7, 1843, 40 y. 

August 11, 1809, 23 y. 

August 4, 1818, 32 y. 

July 13, 1818, 74 y. 

June 13, 1833, 48 y. 

November 5, 1851, 62 y. 

September 30, 1826, 49 y. 

December 27, 1838, 69 y. 



11 m. 23 d. 



25 d. 
2 m. 11 d. 
9 m. 
Im. lid. 

5 m. 
9d. 

9 m. 28 d. 

6 m. 8 d. 
10 m. 



22 d. 

8d. 

26 d. 



3 m. 



10 m. 16 d. 
Im. 7d. 
7 m. 17 d. 
7 m. 10 d. 

2 m. 26 d. 





APPENDIX. 






O'iO 


NAME. 


TIME OF DEATH. 


AGE. 




Ellen G. Robinson, 


November 10, 1868, 


27 y. 






IViary H. Rogers, 


August 27, 1837, 


19 y. 






Benjamin W. Rogers, 


August 2, 1844, 


23 y. 






Jacob H. Rogers, 


April 24, 1860, 


63 y. 






Jane K. Ross, 


July 3, 1871, 


27 y. 






George W. Ross, 


July 30, 1871, 




4 m. 


9d. 


Mary Rubinkam, 


June 1, 1843, 


68 y. 






Jesse Rubinkam, 


October 9, 1852, 


75 y. 




23 d- 


Eliza Ann Ruckman, 


September 17, 1813, 


10 m. 




George A. Rutherford, 


February 18, 1868, 


22 y. 






Mary A. Rutherford, 


May 18, 1869, 


18 y. 


2 m. 


9d. 


Howard Sacwright, 


August 13, 1870, 




3 m. 


13 d. 


Catharine Sandman, 


June 22, 1830, 


28 y. 






John Scott, 


October 16, 1749, 


61 y. 






Hannah Scott, 


August 9, 1792, 


26 y. 


5 m. 




Thomas Scott, 


June 4, 1799, 


22 y. 


8 m. 




Isaac Scott, 


May 12, 1830, 


9y. 






Ellen L. Selser, 


June 16, 1867, 


14 y. 


8 m. 


19 d. 


Robert Service, 


August 29, 1847, 


64 y. 






Thomas Service, 


December 22, 1858, 


37 y. 






Hannah Service, 


May 8, 1863, 


77 y. 






Robert Service, 


May 2, 1873, 


55 y. 






Ida Silvey, 


December 6, 1864, 


ly- 


8 m, 


, 5d. 


Harriet Silvey, 


September 1, 1868, 


31 y. 






Andrew Simpson, 


October 9, 1783, 


46 y. 






John Simpson, 


August 16, 1804, 


66 y. 






Hannah Simpson, 


January 22, 1821, 


79 y. 






Pleasant Simpson, 


June 25, 1835, 


64 y. 






Elizabeth Simpson, 


March 12, 1836, 


52 y. 






John Simpson, 


June 9, 1839, 


77 y. 


5 m 


. 9d. 


Job Simpson, 


June 9, 1863, 


70 y. 


1 m 


. 16 d. 


Anna Snyder Slack, 


November 15, 1870, 


24 y. 






Mary Smith, 


1756. 








Benjamin Snodgrass, 


June 2, 1792, 


39 y. 







344 


APPENDIX. 






NAME. 


TIME OF DEATH. 


AGE. 


James Snodgrass, 


March 5, 1809, 


75 y. 




Ann Snodgrass, 


October 21, 1811, 


74 y. 




Mary Snodgrass, 


August 29, 1818, 


36 y. 


9 m. 


Isaac C. Snowden, M. D., 


July 21, 1828, 


37 y. 




Maria M. Snowden, 


November 21, 1843, 


47 y. 




William Spear, 


March 22, 1745, 


9y. 


3 m. 


Mary Jane Spencer, 


January 20, 1840, 


2y. 




Sarah Ann Spencer, 


March 7, 1841, 


26 y. 




Ann Spencer, 


May 26, 1844, 


70 y. 




Amos Spencer, 


May 11, 1851, 


79 y. 




Isaac W. Spencer, 


February 14, 1868, 


53 y. 




James Spencer, 


December 21, 1871, 


61 y. 


11 m. 22 d. 


Mary M. Steinmetz, 


August 16, 1858, 




7 m. 


Mary Stewart, 


February 2, 1749, 


29 y. 




Robert Stewart, 


August 24, 1767, 


50 y. 




John Stewart, 


August 24, 1767, 


25 y. 




Mary Stinson, 


September 19, 1819, 


63 y. 




Mary Stinson, 


October 10, 1830, 


39 y. 


2d- 


Elijah Stinson, 


March 5, 1840, 


89 y. 




Elizabeth Stinson, 


February 17, 1849, 


66 y. 




John Stinson, 


August 5, 1865, 


83 y. 




Jane Stinson, 


April 13, 1876, 


Sly. 




Elizabeth Stinson, 


September 20, 1868, 


79 y. 




Mary L. Stirk, 


December 26, 1847, 


2y. 


4 m. 


Catharine Stirk, 


June 7, 1866, 


59 y. 


6 m. 22 d. 


Henry Stuckert, 


January 16, 1836. 


69 y. 


6d. 


Elizabeth Stuckert, 


August 30, 1844, 


65 y. 


5 m. 


Frederick Stuckert, 


September 27, 1865, 


11 y. 




Howard A. Swain, 


October 25, 1861, 


4y. 


3 m. 5d. 


Swain, 


July 20, 1871, 




2 m. 


Samuel Taylor, 


February 12, 1876, 


81 y. 




Benjamin Taylor, 


January 3, 1825, 


22 y. 




Ann Taylor, 


March 22, 1838, 


25 y. 




Jacob Taylor, 


May 6, 1838, 


73 y. 





APPENDIX. 



345 



NAME. 

Elizabeth Taylor, 
Phebe Taylor, 
Rev. William Tennent, 
Oatharine Tennent, 
Rebecca Thomas, 
Jane Thompson, 
Elizabeth Thompson, 
John Thompson, 
"William Thompson, 
Margaret Thompson, 
Eleanor Thompson, 
Ann Thompson, 
Margaret Thompson, 
Robert Thompson, 
Elizabeth D. Thompson, 
Lewis Thompson, 
Susanna Thompson, 
Deborah Titus, 
Harriet J. Titus, 
Henry T. Titus, 
Rev. David Titus, 
William Titus, 
David Titus, 
Sarah M. Titus, 
Euphemia J. Titus. 
Mary Titus, 
Fanny Titus, 
Seruch Titus, 
Seruch Titus, 
Rebecca Titus, 
Jane B. Titus, 
Margaret M. Titus. 
Edward Titus, 
Hannah Titus, 
Elwood G. Titus, 



TIME OF DEATH. 

December 26, 1866, 
November 26, 1868, 
May 6, 1745, 
May 7, 1753, 
October 4, 1828, 
August 29, 1768, 
September 29, 1768, 
April 26, 1773, 
January 21, 1807, 
November 15, 1809, 
1838. 
November 1, 1839, 
March 10, 1848, 
July 10, 1849, 
March 22, 1856, 
September 6, 1862, 
January 22, 1869, 
October 11, 1825, 
August 6, 1834, 
December 4, 1834, 
May 22, 1846, 
March 7, 1847, 
February 4, 1848, 
April 5, 1848, 
May 22, 1849, 
March 5, 1852, 
February 15, 1857, 
February 16, 1857, 
July 8, 1856, 
April 25, 1864, 
May 24, 1864, 

February 9, 1865, 
March 2, 1865, 
October 7, 1867, 



AGE. 

59 y. 
99 y. 5m. 4 d. 

73 y. 
70 y. 
45 y. 
1 y. 10 m. 
73 y. 

4y. 

79 y. 6 m. 13 d. 
61 y. 

63 y. 
47 y. 
79 y. 

25 y. 10 m. 
6 m 



7d. 
5d, 



20 y, 

18 y. 5 m. 

17 y. 10 m, 

1 y. 6 m. 10 d. 
23 y. 6 m. 29 d. 
25 y. 11 m. 29 d. 
■75y. 
85 y. 

61 y. 6 m. 
20 y. 5 m 

84 y. 

ly- 
2y. 

52 y. 
23 y. 
20 y. 



Id. 



1 m. 



15 d. 



4 y. 3 m. 25 d. 
19 y. 1 m. 10 d. 
24 y. 9]m. 2d. 



346 



APPENDIX. 



NAME. 

Wilmuth W. Titus, 
Arcturus Todd, 
Jane Todd, 
Silas Todd, 
John Todd, 
James S. Todd, 
Sarah Torbert, 
Amos Torbert, 
Thomas G. Torbert, 
Josephine Trimmer, 
Jane G. Tryon, 
Rachel H. Turner, 



TIME OF DEATH. 

July 13, 1871, 
December 19, 1814, 
September 19, 1821, 
December 4, 1824, 
June 3, 1838, 
August 19, 3847, 
December 4, 1845, 
February 24, 1864, 
January 15, 1865, 
December 30, 1866, 
July 31, 1870, 
August 13, 1863, 



AGE. 


47 y. 


8 m. 25 d 


23 y. 




59 y. 




22 y. 




81 y. 




57 y. 




47 y. 




71 y. 




34 y. 




5y. 


Im. 


79 y. 




40 y. 





Isaac Van Buskirk, 
Jane Van Buskirk, 
S. Van Buskirk, 



April 4, 1865, 72 y. 

December 22, 1870, 58 y. 
December 24, 1874, 78 y. 



9 m. 



Hannah Walton, 
William Walker, 
Ann Walker, 
Sarah Walker, 
Richard Walker, 
William Walker, 
Rebecca Walker, 
Mrs. Walker, 
Adeline Walton, 
Isaac Walton, 
John Watkins, 
Christina Watkins, 
Jane M. Watson, 
Ella G. Weaver, 
James Weir, 
John Weir, 
Mary Weir, 
James Weir, 
Rachel M. White, 



July 19, 1853, 


4y. 


10 m. 


October 1738, 


66 y. 




1750, 


70 y. 




April 24, 1784, 


78 y. 




April 11, 1791, 


89 y. 




September 24, 1804, 


58 y. 




May 15, 1829, 


83 y. 




August 2, 1873, 


60 y. 




April 27, 1802, 




9 m. 27 d, 


February 21, 1873, 


15 y. 


7 m. 15 d, 


May 11, 1830, 


33 y. 




July 29, 1852, 


75 y. 




April 23, 1826, 


60 y. 




April 24, 1872, 




2 m. 


August 6, 1834, 


78 y. 




April 24, 1840, 


87 y. 




March 20, 1851, 


87 y. 




April 28, 1854, 


67 y. 




October 18, 1847, 


52 y. 







APPENDIX. 




a4^ 


NAME. 


TIME OF DEATH. 


AGE. 


Margaret B. Whitecar, 


April 18, 1849, 


31 y. 




Caroline D. Whiting, 


February, 1866, 


46 y. 




William Whittingham, 


January 12, 1817, 


57 y. 




Rebecca Whittingham, 


September 8, 1818, 


55 y. 




Elizabeth Whitton, 


November 3, 1838, 


74 y. 




Margaret Wiley, 


June 12, 1851, 


36 y. 




Laura M. Wilgus, 






Im. 7d 


Elmer E. Wilgus, 


October 6, 1867, 




11m. 


H. W. Wilgus, 


February 10, 1869, 




4 m. 


Robert Wilson, 


July 24, 1830, 


34 y. 


10 m. 14 d 


Rev. James P. Wilson, D.D 


., December 9, 1830, 


61 y. 


10 m. 


Mary F. Wilson, 


May 14, 1833, 


25 y. 




Mary H. Wilson, 


January 5, 1839, 


73 y. 




Susan F. Wilson, 


March 30, 1839, 


8y. 


11m. 


Elizabeth P. Wilson, 


March 20, 1850, 


38 y. 




Matthew Wilson, 


April 14, 1853, 


46 y. 




Anna G. Wilson, 


November 27, 1855, 


20 y. 




Amos Winner, 


October 11, 1862, 


75 y. 




Mary Winner, 


October 20, 1870, 


82 y. 




Joanna Wright, 


December 12, 1835, 


23 y. 




Samuel Wright, 


March 14, 1836, 


37 y. 




Harriet C. Wright, 


April 6, 1837, 


2y. 


6 m. 


Anna M. Wright, 


April 10, 1839, 


ly. 


2 m. 


Catharine Wright, 


December 2, 1844, 


36 y. 


9 m. 29 d 


John Wright, 


May 15, 1845, 


3y. 


5 m. 15 d 


Sarah Ann Wright, 


October 19, 1852, 


29 y. 


5 m. 


Elizabeth Wright, 


May 25, 1855, 


78 y. 


7 m. 19 d 


Orilla M. Wright. 


September 12, 1862, 


11 y. 




James A. Wright, 


February 24, 1865, 


4,5 y. 




Byron H. Wright, 


August 9, 1869, 


23 y. 




Stephen Wynkoop, 


July 12, 1833, 


24 y. 




Elizabeth Wood, 


February 22, 1874, 




3 m. 


Timothy Whiting, 


May 1, 1874, 


78 y. 




B. Franklin Wright, 


March 6, 1876, 


67 y. 





348 



APPENDIX. 



NAME. 

Helena Ann Yates, 
Ephraim A. Yates, 
Judson L. Yates. 
Margaret Yerkes, 
Hugh Young, 



TIME OF DEATH. 

March 6, 1851, 
January 7, 1867, 

December 19, 1865, 
May 10, 1749, 



AGE. 

22 y. 5 m. 14 d. 
22 y. 7 m. 

52 y. 4 m. 1 d. 

61 y. 



w. 

PAET OF THE WILL OF REV. WILLIAM TENNENT, SR. 

Found in a deed given to John Baldwin by Rev. Gilbert Tennent, Exe- 
cutor of his father's real estate, dated Feb. 28, 1746. The will was 
made Feb. 16, 1745. 

"Item, I give and bequeath unto Katherine, my dearly beloved 
wife, all my moveable estate to be by her possessed and enjoyed, 
and appoint and constitute her my executrix of all my said move- 
able estate ; so that she may at her death or any time before, give, 
devise, and dispose of the same, as she may see cause, to my dear 
sons, William and Charles Tennent, or to any of their children ; 
and also I will that my said well beloved wife have, use, occupy, 
and enjoy all the rents, issues, and profits whatsoever, that may 
and shall arise or accrue from my plantation, whereon I now live ; 
or from any part thereof, and that during her natural life ; — And 
then I will, that my well beloved son, Gilbert Tennent, whom I 
constitute and appoint my only and sole Executor of this my last 
will and Testament, as concerning all my plantation, messuage, 
and tract of land, so that I authorize and appoint him to sell 
and lawfully to convey away the same." 

It is added in the Deed, " And then the said Testator directed 
liow the money arising by such sale shall be divided or distributed." 



APPENDIX. 349 



X. 



HISTORY 

OF THE 

HARTSVILLE LADIES' AID SOCIETY. 

Organized Nov. 15, 1861. 



BY MRS. E. NICHOLS, SECRETARY. 



[The members of the Soldiers' Aid Society, a history of whose 
operations follows, were from different denominations of Chris- 
tians, most of them being connected with the tAVO branches of 
Neshaminy Church. The President was a member of the Baptist 
Church of Davisville, Bucks Co.] 

The firing on Fort Sumter, which so thoroughly aroused the peo- 
ple of the United States, reached our little village and awaked 
the patriotic spirit, which the people had inherited from their 
Revolutionary fathers. A firm determination to sustain the gov- 
ernment by force of arms pervaded every heart ; but there seemed 
no immediate call for action. A company left Doylestown for the 
three months ' service ; this was the nearest point where military 
movements were made, and the equipping and sending forth of 
this company required but little sacrifice on the part of our quiet 
people. It was not until after the terrible battle of "Bull Run " and 
the hospitals at Washington were filled with our sick and wounded 
soldiers, that an appeal , was made for clothing, and delicacies. 



350 



APPENDIX. 



which reached us. In August, by special effort, a box of clothing 
and one of delicacies were prepared and forwarded to Washington, 
but as yet the ladies had not felt the necessity of forming them- 
selves into a society for continued and uniform action. Most per- 
sons had looked upon the war as of short duration, and although 
all were ready to work, those nearest the seat of war were con- 
sidered the most favorably situated to show their patriotism and 
sympathy with the soldiers. 

In September, 1861, the 104th Regiment was mustered into ser- 
vice in Doylestown, and numbered in it were the sons and brothers 
of those in our immediate vicinity. The war seemed nearer now ; 
"ought we not to be doing something for our soldiers?" was asked 
by many of our ladies. In October, the 104th Eegiment (still 
encamped in Doylestown) proposed to march to Hartsville and 
spend the day in the neighborhood. Although but two days notice 
was given of the plan, a place was prepared for their reception — a 
large assembly gathered to welcome them — and a sumptu6us 
repast prepared in a creditable manner; and to add interest to this 
unusual occasion, speakers were invited to address them. Most of 
the clergymen in the neighborhood were present, and Rev. J. Bel- 
ville then residing in Hartsville, though away from home, hastened 
his return, that he might encourage these " citizen soldiers " to go 
forward to do battle for their country. 

Rather surprised at what could be accomplished in a short time, 
when there was concert of action, the ladies began to look about 
to see how they might form a society and work hand in hand for 
the comfort of the soldiers already in the field, little dreaming then 
what a mighty work needed to be performed by the loyal ladies of 
our land. 

Public notice was given from the pulpits that a meeting was to be 
held (in the lecture room of the Neshaminy Church on November 
6th, 1861) with a view of forming a society to work for our soldiers. 
This preliminary meeting was well attended. Rev. D. K. Turner 
was appointed president and Rev. M. Long secretary. The pro- 
ceedings were commenced with prayer. Divine blessing was in- 
voked upon the new organization about to be formed, and upon 



APPENDIX. 351 

those whom it designed to benefit. All the meetings of the 
society in evening session were ever afterward closed with prayer, 
when there was a clergyman present, and sometimes by laymen 
when clergymen were not in attendance. No ftirther steps could 
be taken in this meeting thap to appoint a committee to draft a 
constitution and by-laws, to report at the next meeting to be hold in 
the same place November 15th. The committee appointed were Mrs. 
M. Long, Mrs. D. K. Turner, Mr. N. J. Rubinkam. At the second 
meeting General John Davis was called to the chair. The constitu- 
tion and by-laws, with some amendments, were adopted. At the 
third meeting it was resolved ft-om motives of convenience, to hold 
the subsequent meetings in the lecture room of the church in 
Harts ville. 

The meetings of the society were well attended during the entire 
winter. They were the principal resort of all the young people of 
the neighborhood. In the evening it was frequently much crowded. 
The gentlemen did not aid much with the sewing, but caused the 
time to pass quickly, while the young ladies plied the needles. 
The gentlemen were always ready where their services could be of 
avail — in forwarding boxes, collecting supplies, &c. The young 
ladies of Roseland Institute all became members, and worked with 
a will. During the winter the Secretary recorded the names of 
141 members. 82 active members, 53 honorary and 6 life mem- 
bers. A person became life member by paying $5.00. 

The first work commenced was mittens for the members of the 
104th Regiment, and before Christmas over 100 pairs of woolen 
mittens had been knit and forwarded. Company M, of the 8th 
Pennsylvania Cavalry, of which Captain A. Craven had command, 
was next supplied. From that time the attention of the society 
was wholly devoted to the Avants of the sick and wounded. The 
first box that was prepared, was forwarded to the Sanitary Com- 
mission of Philadelphia. The Ladies' Aid of Philadelphia, at this 
time called most urgently for the assistance of the society, and 
most of the boxes for several months were forwarded to that 
organization. An extract from a letter of the secretary of the 
Ladies' Aid will show why their efforts were devoted to that society. 



352 APPENDIX. 

The letter is a reply to one addressed by the corresponding secre- 
tary to Mrs. Harris, (their worker among the soldiers,) requesting 
some account of her visits to the sick. 

My Dear Mrs. Nichols: 

* 
Please excuse my failure to acknowledge your favor of 
Jan. 18th, earlier. My days have been wholly given to the service 
of our soldiers. Returning late in the evenings from the camps, 
fatigued and weary, more in heart, and head, than in body, I could 
not write in a manner to give satisfaction, and so postponed reply- 
ing to any letters until I could give a day to the work — this could 
not be done so long as I was within visiting distance of the Regi- 
mental Hospitals. I will give you a sketch of a part of last week's 
work in a hurried manner, and will beg you not to criticise style 
or manner of execution. Monday, Jan. 13th. Hearing of much 
suffering and death among some regiments of sharp shooters 
encamped north of the Capital, filled our carriage with shirts, bed 
ticks, carpet shoes, handkerchiefs, bed clothing, expectorant medi- 
cines, cocoa, corn starch, rags, wine, butter and eggs, and went on 
our sad errand, found much sickness, the surgeons only two for 
1500 men, not all sick, but requiring oversight — weary and worn, 
almost ready to give up their work. Measles had come amongst 
them, prostrating some hundred of the soldiers ; the attack, in most 
cases, mild in the beginning, but in consequence of neglect, or the 
difficulty of procuring necessary clothing, or other means of pre- 
caution against cold, terminating in pneumonia, typhoid fever or 
malignant sore throat. Some thirty have gone beyond the reach 
of human sympathy or care. Passing a tent, the Doctor (a kind- 
hearted and good man) raised the canvas door and looking in 
expressed surprise to find no occupants — it was the dead tent. The 
guard replied, "They have just carried out two, and a third is 
lying in his tent." When I tell you that these regiments are com- 
posed of the fairest flowers of the north, you will have some idea 
of the feelings, and thoughts, that chased through our hearts and 
heads, on witnessing such scenes. There is some mismanagement 
and that very palpable. Attention of leading benevolent men has 
been given to these regiments and we hope improvement will soon 
follow, but who can bring back our dead soldiers ? Do not think 
such scenes are of common occurrence, they are not — suffering 
there is, but not springing from neglect. Our surgeons and officers 
generally consider the sick and do what they can, with the means 
at hand, to promote their health and comfort,, Everywhere we, see 



APPENDIX. 353 

the want of good cooks. The diet after all is the main thing- 
better be without surgeons than without good nurses and cooks. 
Visited three other hospitals, leaving such articles as were 
needed, if on hand; if not, we took lists of things absolutely 
necessary to the comfort of the sick. Among them were cough 
medicines, cocoa, spit-cups, feeding cups, tea-spoons, bed pans, &c., 
&c. Returned on Tuesday to an hospital visited the day previous, 
was told a lad from Maine wished to see me. His first question 
was, "Do you think I can be saved?" "Yes, my boy, the blood of 
Jesus Christ, His son, cleanses from all sin, only look to Jesus. He 
is able and willing to save." Gave him a card, containing that 
precious hymn, "Just as I am," on one side, and some scripture 
passages, which have comforted so many of our soldiers in death. 
When I saw him again, he was trusting in Jesus, still living when I 
left Washington, hope he will live with Jesus forever. On Tuesday, 
the nurse called my attention to another lad from Reading, Pa., 
who had a few minutes before been brought in. Cannot forget 
the anxious expression of the dear fellow as we repeated some 
precious portions as food for thought ! He was greatly' agitated and 
told me as I went to him, "I am very sick and oh! so scared," tried 
to soothe him. He caught up the verses of scripture and said, " I 
learned them in Sunday School." Had to leave the poor boy, and 
when we returned two days after, he had gone Home as we humbly 
hope to Jesus. Other scenes of the same kind are constantly 
occurring, still our soldiers are in fine spirits and usual health. 
With regard to all your co-laborers, 

Yours, in the good work, 

MRS. JOHN HARRIS, 

Although the constitution of the society required a meeting but 
once a fortnight, yet the interest manifested demanded weekly 
meetings, both afternoon and evening, and when there was an 
urgent appeal for supplies, and there was a desire of forwarding a 
box immediately, or when there was quilting to be done, the ladies 
assembled in the morning and worked industriously until 9 o'clock 
in the evening. A box of dry goods was prepared every month, 
and with it generally was sent a box of dried rusk or of delicacies. 

The society had scarcely commenced its operations, until anxiety 
was felt as to how the treasury was to be replenished. The 
monthly stipend was far too small for the demands upon it. A 



354 APPENDIX. 

proposition was offered for each one, who felt disposed, to give a 
dollar. The next proposition Avas lectures for the benefit of the 
treasury. Eev. Messrs. Long, Turner and Wood were appointed a 
committee to secure lecturers. Eev. Mr. Wadsworth was first in- 
vited. He declined lecturing, but was willing to preach a sermon. 
He preached in the " Neshaminy Church " on January 9th, 1862- 
There were two lectures delivered in the " Hartsville Church " 
during the winter, one by President Allen, of Girard College, and 
the other by Ex-Governor Pollock, of Pennsylvania, all of which 
were highly entertaining and acceptable to the audiences assembled. 
Collections were taken up on the occasions of these lectures, but 
the treasury was not supplied in accordance with the expectations 
of the society. A committee of gentlemen was appointed to 
solicit contributions, who performed their part well and added 
$100 to the treasury. 

On the evening of the 22d of February, the society was enter- 
tained by the reading of "Washington's Farewell Address" and 
singing of the " Star Spangled Banner." 

After the battle of Fair Oaks, many of the wounded were brought 
to Philadelphia, and nursed in St. Joseph's Hospital. A large 
quantity of provisions and delicacies were sent to the hospital for 
their benefit. 

At the meeting of July 4th, the manner of increasing the funds 
was again brought before the society. A mass meeting with the 
sale of refreshments, was discussed and considered favorably. On 
July 28th, a meeting of all the members of the society, and all 
interested in its success, was called "to take measures for holding a 
Mass Meeting to secure funds in aid of the society, and to promote 
an interest in the community in enlistment to fill the thinned 
ranks of the army, and meet the call of the President for 300,000 
new troops." To carry out the arrangements for this meeting, 
fourteen separate committees Avere appointed, who performed will- 
ingly and efficiently the duties assigned them, and secured the 
success of the undertaking. The meeting Avas held in the grove of 
E. H. Darrah, August 21, 1862. Judge Knox of the Supreme 
Court, and Attorney General of Pennsylvania, Morton McMichael, 



APPENDIX. 



355 



Esq., of Philadelphia, and Colonel John W. Forney were secured 
as speakers. "Parson" Brownlow, though confidently expected, 
was obliged to be absent. The Hatborough Brass Band contributed 
the music. 

This Mass Meeting was a grand success. The weather was warm, 
and the roads dusty, but the people of the surrounding neighbor- 
hood and from more distant parts of the country swarmed to the 
place of gathering in numbers that seemed to have no end. A 
large stand had been erected for the speakers and for the brass 
band. There were tables loaded with refreshments of various 
kinds, and attended by ladies, who had business on hand in abund- 
ance. The ice cream table did the most active business. Eev. J. 
Belville, the firm friend of the society from its origin, was ap- 
pointed President; Rev. M. Long and Mr. Geo. Jamison, Secretaries. 
Nine soldiers of the war of 1812, who were present, were appointed 
Vice Presidents. The following resolutions, which will show the 
spirit which actuated the men and women who worked so hard on 
that day, were read and adopted : 

Resolutions of Mass Meeting, August 21, 1862. 

Resolved, That civil government is of God, and that obedience 
to its legitimate authority is one of the first solemn duties of man ; 
that the government of the United States is the most legitimate 
government on the earth, originating not in any usurpation of an 
individual or of a class, but in the voluntary delegation of power 
by those to whom alone God has given the right to exert or dele- 
gate it, viz., the people ; that therefore the American Constitution 
as it is (until amended, as is provided), is God's law to the American 
people ; that as a people we owe devout thanksgiving to God, not 
only for the excellence of the Government under which we live, 
and for the wonderful series of providences, by which its privileges 
were at first secured and have been continued to us, but for the 
fidelity with which it has been ordinarily and is now administered ; 
and that to this Government it is the duty of every citizen of the 
whole United States to render true allegiance, and to give his 
means, his influence, and if need be, his blood, to the maintenance 
of its authority. 

Resolved, That the so-called Southern Confederacy is a rebellious 



356 APPENDIX. 

usurpation both causeless and wanton; that it is not justified nor 
in the least extenuated by any pretended wrong ever suffered by 
the citizens of the Southern States at the hands of the Govern- 
ment, against which they have rebelled; and that therefore the 
war inaugurated by the Southern Secession against the United 
States, is an atrocious crime against Heaven and earth, which 
should bring down the judgment of God, and the execration of 
man upon every citizen of the North or South, of our own or 
other lands, who aids, abets, or sympathizes with the same. 

Resolved, That it is the duty of the Government to maintain its 
authority by force, not only for the preservation of its integrity and 
of the rights and liberties of its own citizens, but for the mainte- 
nance of the great principles of self-government and the rights of 
men, now imperilled by the most deadly assaults they have ever 
sustained at the hands of despotic power ; and that to this end it is 
the duty of the people to respond with cheerfulness to every de- 
mand of the Government for means and men until the last vestige 
of rebellion is swept from the land, and the government of the 
United States is restored to its wonted integrity, and that all resist- 
ance by word or deed to necessary taxation or draft, though not so 
daring, is as iniquitous as avowed rebellion. 

Resolved, That the most devout gratitude of the American 
people is due to the most high God, that in this hour of peril He 
has given us a President wise, honest, firm, and actuated by a true 
patriotism that has raised the Presidential chair, as it should be, 
above the arena of party strife ; that in the Government as organ- 
ized, we recognize the representative, not of a political party, but 
of the American people; that it is the duty of every good citizen, 
Avithout distinction of party, to rally around the President and 
sustain him in his laudable efforts to subdue rebellion, and that all 
endeavors to revive party spirit, to perpetuate party distinctions, 
and to create prejudice against the President and his administra- 
tions, are fraught with peril to the best interests of our land, no 
less than open treason. 

Resolved, That thanks are due to the young men of our land 
Avho have volunteered for their country's defence ; that we mourn 
the dead; that we sympathize with the sick and wounded, that we 
would encourage the living to deeds of bravery by the assurance of 
our grateful remembrances, our sympathy, aid and fervent prayers. 
We will cherish the memory of all, and commend their deeds to 
the gratitude and imitation of posterity. 

Resolved, That the gratitude of the country and of posterity is 



APPENDIX. 



:357 



due to the patriotic women of our land, and to none more than to 
those Ijy whose invitation we are here to-day, for their faithful and 
self-denying services on the behalf of the sick and wounded of our 
army. 

Resolved, That Ave neither ask nor expect sympathy or aid of 
despots or their willing slaves; but commend our cause in faith to 
Free lom's God, pledging to that cause ourselves till death. 

The speeches made on the occasion were able, eloquent and 
patriotic, and filled the hearts of the people with a true patriotism, 
and encouraged those who had so lately given up their dearest 
earthly friends for their country's cause; for on that very day 
Company C, of the 128th Regiment, which was. composed of the 
young men of the neighborhood, were on their way to the seat of 
war. 

The ladies had their hearts rejoiced and felt themselves amply 
rewar>led for their arduous labor by finding their treasury increased 
by $500. And they began to work with still greater zeal. Apples, 
onions, and dried rusk were sent with other supplies. A load of 
provisions was sent to the Hospital at Germantown. 

At the close of the first year an election of officers was held, by 
which the officers of the former year were all retained and received 
a vote of thanks for their faithful discharge of duty. The society 
held its first anniversary meeting in the Hartsville church and was 
addressed by the Rev. Geo. Mingins, of Huntingdon Valley, who 
had labored among the soldiers under the direction of the Christian 
Commission. He related many incidents of sad interest that he 
had been called upon to witness. 

In taking a review of the work of the first year, the society had 
forwarded 13 boxes and two loads of provisions, valued in all at 
$843 33. 

During the second year there was still more work accomplished 
than during the first. In the winter the young men were called 
upon to collect funds, and this time increased the amount in the 
treasury by $130. In the spring vacation of Roseland Institute, 
that building was kindly offered as a place to hold a social festival, 
which was gladly accepted. The entertainment took place April 



358 APPENDIX. 

2, 1868. The . school-room was handsomely decorated with ever- 
greens and fitted up for the sale of refreshments. The other rooms 
were prepared for the reception and entertainment of the guests 
of whom about 200 were present. Patriotic songs were sung and 
played, and with social conversation and games, the evening 
passed away delightfully ; when the company left $100 was in the 
■hands of the treasurer. 

Encouraged by the success of the first Mass Meeting, all were 
ready to engage in another, which was held in the same grove on 
the 10th of September, 1863. The same committees, with a few 
added, acted as before, and the meeting was conducted in the 
same manner. Rev. J. Belville was appointed President, and forty- 
eight of our noble young men, who had been in the military ser- 
vice of the United States or of Pennsylvania, were chosen Vice 
Presidents. 

The president in his opening address announced two very im- 
portant items of news just received. 1st. That the northern traitor, 
Clement L. Vallandigham, was no longer Avithin the boundary of 
the United States. 2d. That Morris Island had been evacu^ated by 
the rebels. Both of which were received with loud cheers from 
all patriotic hearts. The audience listened attentively to eloquent 
and earnest speeches from Judge Knox and from Eev. Mr. 
McAuley of Philadelphia, who had been the soldiers' friend upon 
the' battle field and in the hospital. 

The meeting, though not so large as the first, was a very pleasant 
one, and secured to the friends of the society $370.00. 

During this year 10 boxes had been forwarded, valued at $1278.22, 
sent mostly to the Ladies Aid of Philadelphia; some placed at the 
disposal of that organization, and others with directions where we 
wished them to be sent. 

At the election of officers at the close of the second year, on 
account of the death of the Vice President and resignation of the 
Recording Secretary, Miss Mary Craven was chosen Vice President, 
and Mrs. J. L. Widdifield, Recording Secretary. The other officers 
were retained. 

In the early part of the winter a correspondence was commenced 



APPENDIX. 3^^ 

with Miss Pollock, a friend of several members of the society; 
after which several boxes were sent to her, and many letters of 
interest received. The society became very much interested m 
making quilts; about twenty quilts in all were made, some of them 
" Album Quilts," which were afterwards bestowed to the soldiers, 
on whose beds they had been used, and Avho had become attached 
to their bright colors, and interested in the names written on them. 
In February a call was made for assistance for the suffering 
refugee, of East Tennessee. A conmiittee of ladies was appointed 
to collect money for that purpose. At the next meeting the com- 
mittee reported they had collected $90. An appeal reaching the 
society for clothing for the refugees at Cairo about the same time, 
the society divided the money, sending $50 to East Tennessee, and 
$40 worth of clothing to Cairo. 

The next expedient to increase the funds of the Society was an 
invitation to Signor Blitz. March 21st he gave two entertainments 
in behalf of the society in the lecture room of the Neshaminy 
Church. The performance was so attractive that the room was 
crowded so that standing room could not be found for the audi- 
ence; every available corner of the room was filled. At length 
the floor gave way, and lowered part of the crowd about two feet, 
where they reached "terra firma" without injuring any one. 
After Signor Blitz had been compensated for his services, |85 
remained for the treasurer. 

Among the minutes of March 25, 1864, we find the following: 
Inasmuch as one of the esteemed members of our society. Rev. J. 
Belville, is about to move from our midst, on motion, the society 
resolve unanimously to return a vote of thanks to him for the deep 
interest he has ever manifested in us as a society from its com- 
mencement until the present time, and for the many and efficient 
services he has rendered us, always ready to devise plans and co- 
operate with us in every measure tending to promote the best 
interests of the society. We deeply lament the loss of such a 
member, but our loss will, in all probability, be gain to another 
similar organization. Our best wishes attend him. 

Miss Pollock, in order to show how highly the soldiers under her 



360 



APPENDIX. 



care appreciated the gifts of the society, sent a package containing 
articles manufactured by "her hoys." These articles, on being 
received, were sold to members of the society at public sale, and 
were bought as mementos of soldiers' gratitude. 

About the middle of July, the propriety of holding a third Mass 
Meeting for the benefit of the society began to be contemplated. 
Similar arrangements to those made on former years were made. 
The meeting was held on the 18th of August, 1864. Eev. M. Long 
was President of the meeting. The large audience assembled was 
addressed by Eev. J. Belville, Eev. T. DeWitt Talmage, of Phila- 
■ delphia, and by George H. Stuart, Esq., President of the United 
States Christian Commission. The assembly was much interested 
in the remarks of all these gentlemen, especially those of Mr. 
Stuart, who gave many moving and interesting statements in refer- 
ence to the sufferings and hardships of our heroic defenders in the 
army ; and the work of supplying their wants, both temporal and 
spiritual, in which the Christian Commission is engaged. The gain 
accruing to the society from this effort was $540. 

A hospital having been established at White Hall, in our county, 
near Bristol, on the Delaware river, and the society hearing that 
much good could be done to the suffering there by visiting them, 
and taking supplies, a representative was appointed to go with one 
from the Warminster society to spend a week at the hospital ; to 
take supplies and ascertain whether it was expedient to turn our 
efforts more particularly to that point ; and whether it was advisa- 
ble to keep a representative there. The representative returned 
after staying a week, but finding the surgeons acknowledged no 
such assistants in their arrangements, together with the inconve- 
nience of getting to and from the hospital, the subject was 
dropped, and the work continued as before. 

At the end of this year an election of officers was held. Mrs. N. 
J. Eubinkam was elected Vice President, and the former officers 
retained. The anniversary meeting was held Nov. 6th. The 
exercises were opened with prayer by Eev. J. Belville. A history 
of the society from its foundation was read by Eev. D. K. Turner. 
The meeting was then addressed by Eev. J. Belvillie and Eev. Mr. 



APPENDIX. 



361 



Atkinson, agent of the Christian Commission. Many of the in-.i- 
dents he related were interesting and touching, especially to many 
who had lately lost friends in their country's service. After the 
address, a collection was taken up for the Christian Commission, 
amounting to $75. After prayer by Rev. D. K. Turner, the con- 
gregation retired with new interest in the spiritual and temporal 
welfare of our brave countrymen who were enduring the hardships 
of war in our defence. 

The society having continued its work uninterruptedly for over 
three years, and no "holiday had seen," it was proposed to have a 
social entertainment— a Christmas Dinner, in the usual place of 
meeting, prepared by the members. The day proved a very plea- 
sant one— the repast a bountiful one of turkey, chickens, mince 
pie, and all that belongs to a Christmas Dinner, and was highly 
enjoyed by all that partook. 

In fitting out the boxes it was proposed to send comfort bags, 
which proposition was acted upon cheerfully ; and from the size 
and quantity of the bags, the soldiers received much comfort, and 
the letters received in answer to those sent in the bags, Avere read 
in the society, and listened to with much interest. 

The society continued its regular meetings, and worked with its 
accustomed energy and activity— rejoicing in the victories, and 
often speculating as to how long the work of the society would be 
needed. All were preparing for a general rejoicing, when the war 
should close, and our victorious troops should be welcomed home. 
When suddenly, by the sad news of the death of the beloved Presi- 
dent of the United States, their rejoicing was forgotten, and the 
room where the society had held its meetings for three years and a 
half, was draped in mourning. The following resolutions were 
read and adopted : 

RESOLUTIONS ON THE DEATH OF PRESIDENT LTNCOLN. 

Whereas, Abraham Lincoln, late President of the United States, 
was shot by a vile assassin on the evening of April 14th, 1865, and 
died after an interval of a few hours, and, 



362 APPENDIX. 

Whereas, We, the members of this Society, feel called upon to 
express unitedly our sense of the dreadful enormity of this atro- 
cious crime, and tlie great loss the nation has experienced. 

Resolved, That we lament with unfeigned and deep regret the 
sudden and violent death of our Chief Magistrate, whose vigor, 
wisdom, and prudence have under God brought us apparently so 
near to the end of the rebellion, and to the enjoyment once more 
of the manifold blessings of peace. 

Resolved, That we regard his death as a great national calamity, 
in that it deprives us of a Ruler, whose sagacity, firmness, and 
exalted patriotism have been tried through four years of war 
almost unparalleled upon the pages of history, in the magnitude of 
the armies engaged, the number of battles fought, of cities and 
towns taken, and the length of marches performed by our brave 
and victorious troops. 

Resolved, That as it was the will of Providence that he should 
die while in his second term of the Presidential office, we rejoice 
that he was preserved from the deadly plots of the enemies of our 
government, until he saw the capital city of the rebellion taken, 
its armies nearly all vanquished, and its leaders compelled to flee 
for their lives. 

Resolved, That we execrate the awful and daring deed by which 
he was killed, and trust that the jjerpetrator and his accomplices 
may be brought to speedy and condign punishment. 

Resolved, That we sympathize deeply Avith the bereaved family, 
and pray that they may be sustained by a compassionate Saviour 
in their severe affliction. 



Richmond had been taken — Lee's army surrendered — Jefferson 
Davis captured; — our brave boys Avere coming home. The society 
had completed the work for which it had been commenced. What 
was left in the treasury must be contributed to the comfort of the 
maimed and disabled. 

Miss Pollock being on a visit to her friends in Hartsville, after 
four years of self sacrificing labor, having given her time, ease, and 
comfort, that she might, as far as possible, contribute to the com- 
fort of the soldiers, the society desiring to show their appreciation 
of her labors and sacrifices, presented her with $50 from their fund. 
The society commenced to dispose of the material on hand, and 



APPENDIX, 363 

prepare the way for closing its operations. A meeting was 
appointed the first Friday in September .to take into consideration 
the proper mode of disposing of the remaining fund. Nothing 
definite being decided, the meeting adjourned till the first Friday 
in December. At that meeting $25 were given to a soldier's 
widow in the neighborhood, and $50 to the " City Pastor." * A 
meeting held first Friday in August, voted the remaining money, 
$200, to the Soldier's Home, in Philadelphia. 



CONSTITUTION AND BY-LAWS OF THE LADIES' SOLDIERS 
AID SOCIETY OF HARTSVILLE. 

CONSTITUTION. 

Preamble. — Prompted bj^ a desire to sustain the hands and en- 
courage the hearts of those who are so nobly contending for the 
preservation of our Union, we, the Ladies of Hartsville and vicinity, 
have resolved to form ourselves into an association, the object of 
which shall be to afford aid and comfort to the sick and wounded 
of our Army and Navy, and to provide for those in active service 
such necessary clothing as is not furnished by the Government. 

We do hereby adopt the following Constitution : 

Art. 1st. This Society shall be called the " Soldiers Aid Society 
of Hartsville." 

Art. 2d. The officers of this Association shall consist of a Presi- 
dent, Vice-President, Corresponding Secretaiy, Recording Secretary, 
Treasurer, and a Board of Managers, to be chosen annually on the 
first Wednesday in November. 

Art. 3d. It will be the duty of the President to preside at all the 
meetings, and direct the operations of the Association. 

Art. 4th. The duty of the Vice-President will be to take the 
place of the President in the absence of that officer. 

Art. 5th. The Corresponding Secretary shall have charge of the 
correspondence. 



*He was engaged in providing' for the spiritual and temporal wants of the needy- 
soldiers, widows and orphans of soldiers, in Philadelphia. 



364 APPENDIX. 

Art. 6th. The Eecording Secretary shall keep a record of all the 
business transacted by the Association, the names of the members 
and officers, and shall at the opening of each meeting read the re- 
cord of the preceding meeting. 

Art. 7th. The Treasurer shall receive all monej^s paid to the 
Association, pay all bills as authorized by the officers, keep an ac- 
curate account of all the receipts and expenditures, and report to 
the Association at least once a month. 

Art. 8th. It shall be the duty of the Managers to co-operate 
with the President in devising and adopting such measures as shall 
to them seem most desirable to render the Association most effi- 
cient; also to solicit contributions, as the condition of the treasury 
may demand. 

Art. 9th. Any person may become a member of this Association 
by the payment of twenty-five cents into the Treasury, after that a 
monthly payment often cents. 

Gentlemen will be considered Honorary Members of the Associa- 
tion by the payment of the sum above stated, and entitled to advise 
and consult with the members. 

Art. 10th. This Constitution shall not be altered or amended ex- 
cept by a vote of two-thirds of the members present at a regular 
meeting, and any amendment must be proposed at least four weeks 
before its adoption. 

BY-LAWS. 

Art. 1st. The meetings of the Officers of the Association shall 
be held once a month. 

Art. 2d. The regular meeting for work of all interested, shall be 
held once a fortnight at such times and place as shall be decided 
upon bj^ a majority of the members. 

Art. 3d. The purchasing committee shall consist of two individ- 
uals, who shall take their directions from the Board of Managers. 

Art. 4th. The Committee on work and supplies shall consist of 
four persons, who shall arrange and inspect the work, and collect 
such articles as may be needed for Hospitals, and report monthly. 

Art 5th. The President shall take charge of all stores and ap- 
propriate them according to the advice and counsel of the Associa- 
tion. 



APPENDIX. 



365 



Art. 6th. Amendments to these By-Laws maybe made by a vote 
of the majority of the members of the Association present at a reg- 
ular meeting. Every amendment must be proposed at least two 
weeks before its adoption. 

The society was permanently organized by electing the following 
named persons as 

OFFICERS. 

President— Miss E. N. Davis. 
Vice-President— Mrs. D. K. Turner. 
Corresponding Secretary — Mrs. E. Nichols. 
Recording Secretary — Miss I. R. Long. 
Treasurer — Mrs. M. Glasgow. 



Mrs. Erwin, 
Miss A. Beans, 
Miss Rachel Long, 
Mrs. Mearns, 



Managers. 

Mrs. Rubinkam, 
Miss J. Horner, 
Mrs. Addis, 
Mrs. J. V. Craven. 



Mrs. Mathews, 
Mrs. Widdifield, 
Miss M. Craven, 



Purchasing Committee— M.vs. Addis, Mrs. Turner. 

Committee on Work— Mrs. Mann, Mrs. Freeland, Miss Mary Cra- 
ven, Mrs. Widdifield. 

Packing and Forwarding Committee— Mrs. Turner, Mrs. Nichols, 
Mrs. Widdifield, Messrs. Widdifield and Darrah. 

Committee on i?oom— Messrs. Jamison and Long. 

MEMBERS. 



LIFE MEMBERS. 



Rev. J. Belville, 
Rev. Mahlon Long, 
Rev. D. K. Turner, 
Rev. A. M. Woods, 
Gen. John Davis, 



Mrs. Mahlon Long, 
Mrs. Charles Long, 
Mrs. D. K. Turner, 
Miss E. N. Davis, 
Miss Mary Pollock. 



S66 



APPENDIX. 



HONORARY MEMBERS. 



Wm P. Ames, 
Stacy B. Beans, 
Harman Y. Beans, 
J. M. Boileau, 
C. Bowers, 
O. D. Bowers, 
Joseph Barnsley, 
Rev. J. Belville, 
Jos. Belville, 
J. Carter, 
Hugh Carrell, 
Wm. H. Conard, 
E. Croasdale, 
Ezra Carrell, 
J. D. Duffield, 
Gen. John Davis, 
R. H. Darrah, 
J, M. Darrah, 
James Field, 
J. Flack, 
Wm. Glasgow, 
Jos. Hart, 
B. F. Hart, 
J. Jamison, 
B. T. Jamison, 
Wm. Jamison, sr., 
Wm. Jamison, jr., 
G. W. Jamison, 
J. E,. Jones, 



Geo. Jamison, Jr., 
J. Laverell, 
Rev. Mahlon Long, 
S. F. Long, 
Jos. Lear, 
R. G. S. McNeille, 
J. McGraudy, 
A. E. M. Miles, 
T. W. Meredith, 
C. Meredith, 
N. D. Marple, 
Dr. W. Mathews, 
John Polk, 
N. J. Rubinkam, 
Wm. Rubinkam, 
Smith Radcliffe, 
Charles Ramsey, 
Henry Robinson, 
H. C. Stuckert, 
Geo. Taylor, 
Rev. D. K. Turner, 
J. L. Widdifield, 
Rev. A. M. Woods, 
Watson Wood, 
Isaac Wood, 
W. W. Whitecar, 
Harman Yerkes, 
Hutchinson Yerkes. 



ladies' names. 



Mrs. S. Y. Addis, 
Miss Anna C. Beans, 
Mrs. Geo. Brown, 



Miss Louisa Janvier, 
Miss Rachel Long, 
Miss A. E. Long, 





APPENDIX. 


Miss Jane E. Bothwell, 


Miss A. Long, 


Mrs. Eliza H. Brown, 


Mrs. C. B. Long, 


Miss M. C. Broclie, 


Miss I. R. Long, 


Miss J. Blair, 


Mrs. Andrew Long, 


Mrs. C. S. Belville, 


Mrs. Anna Long, 


Miss Maria Belville, 


Mrs. Mary Lowere, 


Miss Mary Belville, 


Miss Susan Mann, 


Miss Kate Belville, 


Mrs. William Mann, 


Miss Carrie Belville, 


Miss C. V. Marple, 


Miss Letitia Buj'ers, 


Miss S. E. Marple, 


Miss E. S. Baird, 


Mrs. W. Mathew^s, 


Miss Eliza Carr, 


Mrs. A. Mearns, 


Mrs. Hugh Carrell, 


Miss Anna Myers, 


Mrs. Ezra Carrell, 


Miss Louisa McCarter, 


Miss M. H. Craven, 


Miss Hannah McNair, 


Mrs. Jane V. Craven, 


Miss E. M. Mcllvaine, 


Miss Ellen Croasdale, 


Miss E. J. Mitchell, 


Miss Mary Cornell, 


Miss Mary McNeille, 


Miss J. Carr, 


Mrs. Emily Nichols, 


Miss Kate Darrah, 


Mrs. J. Neilds, 


Miss Rebecca Darrah, 


Mrs. Mary Polk, 


Miss E. N. Davis, 


Miss Helen Paxson, 


Mrs. A. T. Duffield, 


Miss Helen Rich, 


Mrs. Ellen Darrah, 


Miss V. Robinson, 


Mrs. Stephen Decoursey, 


Miss F. Rubinkam, 


Miss Susan Dungan, 


Mrs. N. J. Rubinkam, 


Mrs. W. W. H. Davis, 


Mrs. S. Snyder, 


Miss Eebecca Ely, 


Mrs. Louisa Spencer, 


Mrs. R. T. Engart, 


Mrs. Wm. Stuckart, 


Mrs. A. M. Erwin, 


Miss S. E. Stuckart, 


Miss A. M. Erwin, 


Miss Charlotte Spottswood, 


Miss Everhart, 


Miss V. Thomas, 


Mrs. J. Field, 


Miss A. Thompson, 


Mrs. E. Freeland, 


Miss E. Thompson, 


Miss Susan M. French, 


Mrs. Taylor, 


Miss M. A. Flack, 


Miss Jane Thompson, 



367 



368 



APPENDIX. 



Mrs. M. B. Glasgow, 
Miss I. J. Glasgow, 
Miss Elizabeth Hart, 
Miss Mary Hart, 
Miss Ann Eliza Hart, 
Miss Jane Horner, 
Mrs. Joseph Hart, 
Mrs. James Horner, 
Miss Emma Jamison, 
Miss Phebe Jamison, 
Miss Each el Jamison, 
Miss Jane Jamison, 
Miss Maria Jamison, 
Mrs. Wm. Jamison, 
Mrs. Annie Jamison, 



Mrs. Eachel Turner, 
Miss A. Vanuxem, 
Mrs. F. C. H, VViddifiekl, 
Miss Mary Watson, 
Miss Jane Watson, 
Mrs Cai'oline Whiting, 
Mrs. E. Wynkoop, 
Miss Ettie Woods, 
Miss A. Ward, 
Miss E. Way, 
Miss A. Way, 
Miss M. Yerkes, 
Miss Hester Yerkes, 
Miss Yates. 



EXHIBIT OF TEEASUEER OF HAETSVILLE LADIES' 
AID SOCIETY. 

August 10, 1866. 



$2,986.93 have been paid into the Treasury from A'arious sources, 
and all disbursed except $230 now at interest, to be disposed of as 
ordered by the Society. 

39 Boxes have been Forwarded, as below : 

4 to Miss Pollock, Washington. 
1 to JOith P. V. 

7 to Mrs. Jones. 

1 to Cairo, 111. 

8 to Christian Commission. ^ 

2 to Sanitary do. 
1 to Dr. A. S. Jones. 

3 to Mrs. Harris, Army of the Potomac. 

1 to Christian Street Hospital, Philadelphi?. 



APPENDIX. 



369 



1 to Cumberland, Maryland. 
1 to Kentucky. 
1 to White House, Virginia. 
1 to Steamer Spalding. 
1 to Harrison's Landing. 
1 to Winchester, Virginia. 

1 to Annapolis, Maryland. 

2 to Philadelphia Ladies' Aid Society. 
1 to Tennessee. 

1 to White Hall Hospital. 
These boxes were valued at $4,050. 

Contents of Boxes, as follows , 



849 Shirts. 

454 pair Drawers. 

195 Pillow Cases. 

15 Wrappers. 
169 pair Mittens. 

92 " Socks. 
101 " Slippers. 
594 " Stockings. 

48 Bedsacks. 
164 Sheets. 
130 Pillows. 

49 Quilts. 

28 pair Pantaloons. 
2 Carpet Blankets. 
353 Towels. 
708 Handkerchiefs. 
222 Bandages. 
8 Slings. 
14 Fans. 
17 Pads. 
1 Roll Cotton. 
1 box Medicines. 



1 box Buttons. 

2 dozen Combs. 
40 lbs. Sugar. 

4 dozen Spoons. 
1 do. Tin Cups. 
22f lbs. Tea. 

Eye Shades, ad libitum. 
Spices, do do. 

22 bushels Onions. 
8 do. Potatoes. 
1 do. Beets. 
J bushel Strawberries. 

24 barrels Rusk. 

1 barrel Gingerbread. 
44 lbs. Farina. 
63i lbs. Butter. 

25 dozen Eggs. 

4 cans Concentrated Soup. 
160 do. Fruit. 

66 bottles of Wine. 

5 Gallons Tomatoes. 
4 Chickens. 



370 



APPENDIX. 



^-f' 



/<:?5 



3 Vests. 

3 Coats. 

9 Boys' Suits. 

3 Girls' Sacques. 
36 pieces Clothing for 

and Children. 
15t bushels Apples. 

2 barrels Pickles. 

1 barrel Crackers. 
Cheese in quantity. 



5 gallons Milk. 
1 lb. Coffee. 
1 gallon of Vinegar. 
4 cans Jelly. 
Women 3 lbs. Dried Apples. 

1 jar Pickled Cabbage. 

Pins in quantity. 

Needles in quantity. 
23 Comfort Bags. 

Reading matter, assorted. 



